Every Tear, Every Smile
by Pen to Paper Writer
Summary: Rick Castle is a detective at the 12th precinct. He has a troubled past and that is his Achilles heel. Since the day he lost it all, he has disregarded his own safety and those around him as well. She was given a second chance and needs to stop him from further destroying himself. Will she be able to do this? The only problem is that she falls for him and falls hard.
1. Chapter 1

She had done it. She finally made it through the first two grueling years of law school at Stanford. Since she had just aced her last exam for the semester and some friends had suggested going out to blow off some steam. She agreed reluctantly but told them that it would have to be in about two hours because she had things she had to take care of. Finding out that she had the next three months off from school she wanted to go back to New York. So, she worked on looking for flights back home to see her parents. Not knowing that so much time had flown by, the knock at the door startled her.

"Come on Kate it's time to go." She knew that voice, it was the voice of her classmate Charlotte.

"I'm coming. Are you guys ready to go?" Kate returned.

"We are. We're all going to take Josh's car. This way we can have a designated driver if necessary."

"No that's okay Charlotte I don't plan on drinking. I'm just glad to be getting out of this stuffy dorm room. Finally, three months of freedom!"

They decided to eat first and went to a diner not far from campus. After that Philip asked what they wanted to do when they were done. Philip was one of Josh's friends and heard of a party that was off campus. Charlotte asked Kate if she wanted to be brought back to the dorm room after dinner instead of going to the party. Kate answered that even though she doesn't drink she will go to the party. Maybe she'll make a new friend or two.

By the time they got to the party, it was in full swing. And people were definitely drinking way too much. Kate and Charlotte walked over to the tub that had ice and Pepsi in it and each grabbed a soda. Knowing that all the action is going on inside and that Josh is there as a designated driver, Charlotte and Philip make their way inside the house to meet friends. Kate, on the other hand, doesn't want to go inside to avoid the temptation of drinking alcohol and she sits down on the porch swing suspended from the ceiling looking out towards the street. By the time three hours goes by Charlotte is complaining about Philip drinking too much and wants to get him back to the dorm room.

"Come on Phillip let's get your ass home because you've had way too much to drink," Charlotte says.

By the time Charlotte walks out onto the porch, Kate can see her holding up Philip and moves to help her.

Charlotte waves off Kate's help and asks her to find Josh who is somewhere inside the house. In the meantime, she leaves towards Josh's car to load Philip in the car, stumbling down the front steps as she tries to keep him upright.

She scans the living area of the house and doesn't see Josh anywhere. She makes her way into the kitchen and that's where she finds him. He sways a little bit as he fills a glass with water for a drink.

"Josh listen, Charlotte and Philip need to be brought back to the dorm. She's loading him in the car now because honestly, the man is inebriated."

"Okay, I'll be out there in a second. Why don't you head out there and help her I'll be right behind you."

Kate knew something was off but wouldn't come forward because it would embarrass him in front of the people that were there. But what she didn't know is that he had been drinking the entire time they've been there.

By the time Josh makes it out to the car he stumbled down the stairs as Charlotte and Philip did earlier, but he gets into the car and looks basically okay to drive. He starts the car and asks if everybody's wearing their seat belts. They all acknowledge that they are. Josh pulls away from the curb and they're off for their fifteen-minute trip back to the dorm rooms. Part of their journey brings them on to US1. US1 is hard to navigate in daylight let alone at midnight. A fog has rolled in off the ocean and obscures the highway in some parts. Josh being as drunk as he is doesn't realize that he is moving too fast to react to the twists and turns that US1 has. It isn't until the last minute when he realizes his car is heading for a guardrail protecting a ravine. Being slow to react due to his alcohol intake he hits the guardrail hard. The guardrail stops the car from going completely over the edge but ejects the passengers in the back seat when the guardrail ends and the car becomes airborne and starts to roll over. Since it was a nice night out, the sunroof was open, and all the windows were down. Charlotte goes through the sunroof after the car makes one full revolution. Kate goes through the passenger window on the second barrel roll. Their seatbelts being ripped from their anchor point due to the violent twisting of the older car. Kate ends up on the embankment lying on an outcropping of stones that stop her from falling down the embankment about thirty feet away from the point of impact. Charlotte wasn't that fortunate. She ended up three hundred feet down the ravine with a tree stopping her fall and snapping her neck. Kate comes to for a brief second and then everything goes black. All she can think about is her mom.

Xx

 _ **Two years later…**_

The universe is out to get him! He can't seem to catch a break. First, he gets stuck with a rookie detective assigned to him and he really can't deal with that now because he needs to deal with his ex. She had the bright idea of taking his personal vehicle without his knowledge this afternoon and sideswipe a row of parked cars on Brooklyn street. But the second he brings up the fact that she was three times over the legal limit for consuming alcohol, he gets read the riot act from her. She had used her one phone call to call him to try and get her out of her arrest. He told the cops that responded to the scene to throw her in the tank and let her dry out for twenty-four hours. That's how she became his ex, like ten minutes ago because let's face it a man can only take so much.

"Detective Castle, I have the reports here."

This was his new rookie detective. Fresh out of narcotics. He was the type that thought he could save the world by becoming a homicide detective. The real reason was that he royally messed up in narcotics and no other command wanted him. He really didn't screw up that bad but his Lieutenant had no issue with tossing him from the squad he was in when he made the mistake of blabbing the name of a confidential informant in the presence of the same men they were arresting. He was way too gung-ho.

"Is that so detective Ryan?"

"It is detective Castle, what should I do now?"

Castle was never one to automatically assume that everyone knew what to do while investigating a murder or any crime for that matter. But sometimes the answer can be right in front of you. This is the one thing he hated most about rookie detectives and training them to become better detectives, it was that he had to teach them.

"Well, it's simple detective Ryan. You see, you take the report in your hands, read through the victim's financial report and try to put together a pattern to see if we might be able to come up with a suspect or two. When we do that we might be able to arrest somebody for this crime. Are you with me so far?" Rick said a little too contemptuous.

Ryan knew when he was being chastised and sunk into the seat at his desk pulling the report open to start reading.

"Well look at that, I didn't have to tell you to do what was next, did I? So now that you're all set I'm going to update the captain on what we have so far."

Rick walked away towards the Captain's office.

Roy watched as his detective walked towards the office. Once he was inside and comfortable, then he would rip into him.

"Captain, do you have a minute?" Rick asked at his door.

Roy Montgomery waved him in. Knowing that he needed to finish his review of the last case that the Bravo squad solved yesterday, he motioned Rick to sit while he finished reading.

Roy closed the file and looked up at Rick. He was pissed and he knew that Castle was putting Ryan through the ringer for no reason at all. Little did Castle know but he heard every part of the last conversation they just had out in the bullpen.

"Rick, tell me, how's the new detective working out?" Roy asked.

"He's a basket case Roy. He can't be trusted to do anything. He has to be led around by the nose. I'm not seeing him lasting here that's for sure." Rick told him.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah why Roy?"

"That's Captain Montgomery to you detective. And did you ever think that this might be a problem? Detective, you are not teaching him anything. What you're doing is using him as your personal assistant. That stops now! The man has done everything that you asked him to do. Tell me, detective, what exactly has he learned?"

Rick knew that he was pushing the envelope with Ryan, but come on the kid had no clue about what he wanted to do. Staying silent for too long thinking about it, Rick answered his boss.

"He hasn't learned anything."

"Right. And I know that this will change starting now right detective?"

"Captain, can't you have someone else train him? He's trying to save the world and I for one can tell you that he won't be able to do it."

"You know what detective Castle?"

Rick just looked at Roy wondering what was going through his head. He had a thought but Roy would never do that to him, he hoped.

"No Captain, what?"

"As of this minute, Ryan is now your new partner."

He just stared at his boss. This couldn't be. He always worked alone it was one of his unwritten rules he was never partnered with anyone. Damn now what was he going to do?

"Roy?"

"Rick you need a partner. I'm solving two problems by doing this. You get a partner and he will learn from you as you go.

"Roy, you can't be serious, can you? I haven't had a partner" Rick paused for a second thinking back to when he last had a partner.

"Since I was a rookie on the job. Roy I don't need somebody to work with I worked fine by myself."

"Detective you will be working with a partner or you're going to be shoved way back so far into records that you will never see the light of day, am I clear?"

"Yes, Captain. Crystal."

Rick turned and left the office keeping detective Ryan in his sight as he walked out.

 **A/N: This might not be every reader's cup of tea. This story idea has been on my hard drive for five years and I think I can finally make it work. Now the question is should I continue this?**

If this does move forward updates will be limited due to real life becoming very busy in the following months. Sorry.

 **P2P**


	2. Chapter 2

They say when you lose your life everything you've done right up until the time you die flashes before you like you were watching a Nickelodeon viewer. You were young, you lost your first tooth, you learned how to ride a bike, you have your first crush on a boy, you get your heart broken, and finally there are no more new memories to be made. She has been this way for what seems like an eternity. In reality, it's been just two short years.

She's not hungry, or tired, or wanting anything. Which is what worried her the most. She can't remember anything from her past. Her school she went to, her friends, or her parents. She feels a pull towards something but she has no idea what it is.

Then there is a blinding light filling the space she occupies and then she feels like she's moving towards something. What it is she has no idea.

Xx

"So do you think that she will be able to adapt?" A male voice asks.

"I think that she'll be able to surpass what we ask of her. She was young when he took her so he must have his reasons for choosing her." Another more feminine voice replies.

They both shield their eyes as the room is bathed with a soft light. When they open them again, Katherine Beckett is standing in front of them looking so scared and unsure about what is going on around her.

"Welcome, Katherine Beckett." The male voice says.

Kate just stood there not knowing what to do. She was not sure if she should say anything so she stayed silent. But the odd thing was that there was no one in front of her or anywhere in the immediate area surrounding her.

"What's wrong child? Are you unsure of your surroundings?" The female voice asked.

Timidly Kate answered them.

"I'm not sure what's going on. I felt like it has been an eternity since I've last seen anyone. Who are you?" Kate asked.

"Katherine, we are what you would know as coordinators so to speak. We help you in your quest to move onto the next level." The female voice told her.

"Why can't I see you?" Kate asked.

They were afraid of this happening and decided to make a one-time exception. Without warning, two swirls of vapor grew in size and materialized in front of her two feet away and two feet apart. What she saw was not what she had expected when they took the shape she knew to be of a man and woman. The only thing wrong was they were dressed in white robes and had what she thought were feathered wings extending from their backs.

"You don't exist!" Kate said a little unsure of herself but quickly took the defensive.

The second she uttered that statement the two shapes completely disappeared. The only thing she heard was what was said next.

"On the contrary Katherine, we revealed ourselves for you to see. Why do you question our existence?"

"What I saw in front of me was not possible. People like you can't exist. And please call me Kate." She said with caution in her voice.

"Kate, if we don't exist then how is it that we were standing right here in front of you only a second ago?" The male asked.

"This must be some kind of trick or something like that." She said with enthusiasm but still being defensive not knowing what they wanted and what she could do for them.

" _This is what happens. People lose their way and don't believe in him any longer. Are you sure that he specifically selected her?"_ The male voice whispered to the female.

Deciding to get to the task at hand the female voice took over ignoring the thoughts projected to her by her male counterpart.

"Kate, what do you remember happening last?"

"I'm not sure. I can't remember anything but a dark room and my life in pictures projected in front of me right before I got there. I don't even know how long I was in there."

"Just a little over two years." The male said.

"Kate while you might not believe what you are seeing in front of you, I can assure you that we are real. But I am afraid I have some news that you will find hard to believe."

"Well, it can't be that bad. Because I don't believe that you are real. So, tell me what's so hard for me to believe then?"

"You died over two years ago."

Xx

Rick was really steaming. His now ex-wife expected him to pay her alimony. His lawyer sat across from her attorney listening to her ramble on.

He was not happy with his client. She had gone against everything he told her not to and after the last outburst he gave up for good, sat back, and watched as she dug herself deeper into the hole she was digging for herself.

Rick had known that judge Markaway would be the mediator for his case. All he had to do was sit back and keep letting her make a fool of herself.

"He let me drive drunk that day last week!"

"Hold on a second Ms. Cowell, are you telling me the reason that you want to be paid alimony is because your husband at the time told you to operate a motor vehicle in order to get to another establishment that sold alcohol?"

"Why yes, I am. He told me that he wanted to see me at my best. So, I tried to get to the bar that was closest to his precinct. How would I know that those nice policemen would pull me over? And besides, how could I tell that I was in Brooklyn and he works in Manhattan, in my condition?"

"Gina, you were arrested for DWI. What did you expect? You drove my car into eight parked cars that were parked no less." Rick said with a shudder.

"Counselor, is there anything that you'd like to say in defense for your client?" Judge Markaway asked.

The lawyer representing Gina was too busy cleaning his fingernails to be worried about her. He looked up and told the judge that there was nothing that he could do to stop his client from sticking her foot in her mouth and she deserved whatever he decided.

"Then that settles it. Ms. Cowell aside from your legal fees and bail that your ex-husband posted for you there is no grounds that he be ordered to pay you spousal support. As for the car that you destroyed while driving under the influence and the additional cars that were parked on the street, you are to make restitution for the damage you caused. The insurance company will not honor any claims involving you and this accident. Do I make myself clear?"

"So I am not getting anything from Rick?"

"On the contrary Gina" Rick pulls out the rental car agreement and slides it across the table towards her. "This is what you will pay until my car is out of the body shop. Oh, and I'll send you that bill as well." Rick told her.

Gina just sat there too stunned to speak.

"If that's all I need to get back to work. Gina, Judge Markaway, counselor." Rick rose from his seat and headed for the door.

Once outside he started to walk to the precinct. Not paying attention he stepped off the curb at Broadway and 11th Street just as the small red hand flashed in the sign on the other corner opposite him. He never noticed the cab moving fast through the intersection. It was if he hit a solid wall and he felt like he was being held back. His leg was just about to be hit by the cab when he noticed it moving back against his will. The cab screamed past him and he almost fell forward onto the street once it passed him. Looking around him he noticed that the people standing on the corner around him never noticed anything out of the ordinary. He didn't know what to think. The little walking man appeared on the crosswalk sign and he melded into the horde of pedestrians as they finally crossed the street.

Xx

"I died two years ago?" Kate said suspiciously.

"You did. But Kate you are in a position to do so much more now. There had to be a waiting period before you could be called up to your next level."

"What level would that be?"

"Since you have been in limbo so to speak, you will need to be trained as to what you can and can't do when you are given your new assignment."

"What assignment? All I want to do is get back to school so I can graduate."

"Kate, I'm sorry to tell you that you will no longer need to attend any school. All of your knowledge will be given to you by your advisor. He will be meeting with you shortly. Then you will be assigned an earthbound responsibility."

"Wait a second, I'm not on earth?"

"Kate, save your questions until you meet with your advisor. He will answer any questions you might have."

The minute the voices ceased there was silence where she stood. The light had disappeared and it was now dark. She looked around and started to second guess what she just heard. Then there was a force that moved her against her will. She tried to stop moving but it was no use. She was being pulled towards a dark room and she was not feeling that this would be a good thing.


	3. Chapter 3

When she came to a stop she was still in the dark. Then without warning, there was a bright light coming from somewhere in front of her. The light was brighter unlike where she just was and it was moving towards her. As the light got closer to her, she noticed it wasn't so much a light, but the outline of a figure of a man or maybe it could have even been a woman.

The light dims as it gets closer to her and then finally stops in directly in front of her. She looks and sees the features of a face that resemble a woman. She doesn't know what to say so she just stands there waiting for the figure to say something first.

"Katherine Beckett. My name is Sapphira and it is my job to guide you to the next stage of your training. You will be trained to suggest a different way of thinking to your charge. This will give them something to think about before making decisions. At any time if you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask me anything."

"I do have some questions I was hoping to get answers to."

"Ask them, my child," Sapphira told her.

"What happened to me? I don't remember much after the accident but I have a feeling that I am no longer alive."

"You're right you are no longer alive. I am so sorry that your life ended the way it did. You died from wounds that were sustained to your head from the accident. Your friend Charlotte did not survive the accident either and for that, I am genuinely sorry. What we will be hopefully doing here is training you to take charge of an earthbound spirit who has seemed to have lost their way."

"Lost their way?"

"Yes, Katherine. People on the Earth sometimes forget that they're not always mindful of what goes on around them. But what you are being tasked to do is watch out for one certain person. You will make yourself known and assist him or her in any way to keep them safe.

"So I'm what you would call a guardian angel?"

"Not in so many words but yes you could think of yourself as something like that. You will be placed back on Earth and whoever you are assigned to will be able to see you, talk to you, and feel your presence."

"When you say I will be put on Earth does that mean I will actually live there or will I be moving between this place and Earth?"

"You will actually be staying on Earth. And the influence that you hold over your charge will be monitored by people up here making sure that you do not give away who and what you actually really are."

"What exactly am I?"

"You are what we commonly refer to as a spiritual guide. You will be assigned a person to better their life through what you can teach them to do. In the next two months of time, as you know it, you will have learned the ways to deal with most situations that are presented to your charge on Earth. There are only two things that you cannot let happen while you are there. The first being that you are not to fall in love or become romantically involved with your charge. The second item being that you cannot alter their free will by introducing your ideas or values to him. They need to come to a decision on their own."

"How long will this take? I mean when they are finished with my guidance am I done as well?"

"Katherine it's a case-by-case basis but you will be reviewed on your performance and your actions regarding your charge. We will look over to see that you have done what we hope you will do. We just need you to keep him or her safe because that is your basic job. And one more thing, since you have already died you cannot die again. If you are involved in a situation that puts you in a life-or-death outcome and you are killed, you will no longer be an advisor to your charge on Earth. Everything that he or she knew about you will be erased from his or her memories and you will be assigned a new charge. Even though you already are an individual that looks after people I'm afraid that these situations would be too much for him or her to comprehend."

"How so?" Kate asks.

"You literally can't die, Katherine. So, we can't very well have you continue forward with your charge. Let's say if you were stabbed how would it look if you had shown yourself the next day after being declared dead?"

Xx

His world has been in turmoil for the last week. His ex-wife had tried to outsmart him by filing for chapter seven bankruptcy. His new rookie Ryan was involved in a car accident on the way to a crime scene. The cruiser was totaled and he walked away from it with a broken arm and a gash on his head. He'll be out of commission for the next three weeks leaving Rick alone once again. Partnerless. And he likes it like this because he is in control. But what he doesn't like is the fact that his Captain keeps telling him to check up on the snot-nosed little kid. He hates doing it but he does it anyway. Pulling teeth is a better experience than talking to Ryan because he has to describe every little test or procedure that he's had since he was put on no duty status with a very precise description.

Right now, he's in the middle of a case where things aren't adding up. He hasn't had a solid clue giving him any kind of direction in the past two days. He's reviewed the victim's whereabouts prior to her murder but can't find the connection between why she was where she was, and who killed her. The motive of whoever killed her also escapes him. She was just a recently graduated college kid who was working her tail off to pay off her student loans by waitressing & trying to break into the modeling business. If it's one thing she had it was the looks. She was beautiful.

"Castle, any progress on your victim?" Captain Montgomery asked from his office doorway.

"I made little headway regarding her whereabouts the day she was murdered. I'm starting to question the M.O. Whoever this person is who did this knew where to do it. No security cam coverage, no street cam coverage within three blocks and no witnesses. That's the worst part actually because I can't talk to anybody."

"Castle start from the beginning rework the entire case as if it was a fresh one you just got today. Recanvas and see what you can come up with.

Xx

Sapphira looks on at the vision she sees in front of her. Her choice was a tough one but she thinks that she has found a charge for Katherine to guide. He's a good man but his belief system needs a lot of work. Just the challenge Katherine Beckett needs right now. Now to see how he'll react to someone giving him guidance. Maybe it'll work and then again…


	4. Chapter 4

Her training was moving along quite well. She was advised of many situations in which she might face when she was given her first charge on Earth. This made her think. If this was her _first_ charge would there be more to come in her future? How long would this assignment last? She didn't know if there would be more and this is what worried her the most. How long would she actually be here before she moved on forever? Would she move on after this assignment? But now he needed to face the task at hand. She knew that suggesting anything that altered her charge's free will would be wrong. But what if it was a way to make things better?

She needs to talk to Sapphira and ask if there are any exceptions.

Xx

"She will be fine. Remember she is still at an early age. She is nothing like you when you were in the same position. You had already lived your life." Sapphira pleaded on Kate's behalf.

"That remains to be seen. Have you selected a charge for her to guide?"

"I have Raguel."

"Very well. Give me their information and I'll decide if they are a good match."

"Yes, Raguel."

Xx

He watches as the image on the pool in front of him comes to life from his throne. What he sees is what he thinks is a large metropolitan city not really caring one way or the other. Things have changed since he's been on the surface of the Earth but he can tell that just by watching the pool, just by the images that he sees nothing has changed that much in the last millennium since he's been there. He has her candidate charge in front of him. He can tell that he's a man who doesn't value life itself. He's a little bit cavalier with the way he throws around his own life. It's like he has a death wish of sorts. He watches as he takes down what appears to be a suspect. His gun is drawn and pointed at the suspect while he tells him to put down his own gun before he fires upon him. Raguel knows that this will end in death. He can tell by the way the suspect rabbits around and avoids the candidate charges orders that his life will be cut short before he has a chance to plead for it. In the end, after watching for a few more minutes, his prediction becomes truth. The suspect is lying in the small apartment... dead.

"Sapphira are you sure that this is the best match for Katherine Beckett? To me, it seems that he is too extreme. He does not value life the way he should in order to reach his end naturally. This can be the problem."

"I promise you Raguel this matching between the two of them has been well sought out by the supreme beings. They assured me that the match they have put together will work out and she will be able to make him see the error in his ways."

"Have you spoken to Katherine about what she can and cannot do?" Raguel asks.

"She's already had her two-month training session and she has done very well. She picked up things a lot quicker than we thought she would. As of right now, she is ready for her first Earthbound assignment." Sapphira reports.

"Very well Sapphira. Send her first thing tomorrow morning. But before she leaves make sure that she has everything she needs so she won't be sent back here because she broke the rules.

Xx

Saphira needs to sit down with Kate and talk to her about what her next step will be like. She knows that she was refused to enter heaven only because her life was cut short by dying so young. She needs to do this in order to become at peace. She summons her and will tell her what she needs to do next.

Xx

"Katherine, I'm here to tell you that we have selected a charge for you to look over. It will be your responsibility to keep him safe and to enlighten him to the path to redemption."

"When will I start watching over him?"

"First thing tomorrow after a good night's sleep you will be sent to the surface of the Earth. From there you will take the form of your prior body. Of course, you are two years older so things won't be exactly as they were when you first came here. Your charge on Earth is named Richard Castle. He is a detective in the city of New York. What he does is gather evidence, gets involved in shootouts, arrest suspects, and fills out piles and piles of paperwork. You will have a premonition of when he will be involved in a life-threatening situation. You must act on that premonition and keep him safe because if he dies you will be returned back here and you will be assigned a new charge to start over again. My advice to you is keep this man alive no matter what it takes."

"You say he's Detective? And people are shooting at him all the time? How am I going to be able to protect him and still keep him alive?"

"Katherine it's not as bad as it seems and like I told you before you will receive a premonition. Once you know how to manage these premonitions you will be all the better off. For now, relax and get a good night's sleep because first thing in the morning you are heading down to earth. You also need to know that any type of romantic relationship is strictly forbidden between you and your charge. Nothing good can happen if you fell into this trap."

"I understand."

Xx

Her sleep cycle is over before she knows it. She is awakened by the need to be a certain place. So, she reports to Sapphira.

"Good morning Catherine. Are you ready to return to Earth?"

"I am. Is there a way to tell me how long will I be there?"

"Katherine that is hard to say. It all depends on Richard Castle. Because he is the one you are trying to save. It could be a week it could be six years. But you will know when your time is up."

"I'm ready."

"Katherine all I will ask you to do now is just close your eyes and fall backward. When you returned to consciousness you will be on earth. It's the only way we know how to send you there without forgetting everything we taught you. So, if you're okay with it please by all means just fall backward and you will be on earth when you open your eyes again."

Kate is a bit skeptical but closes her eyes anyway and puts her hands to her sides and leans back. When she does, she falls through what should be a very long drop. But when she opens her eyes again, she is lying on a park bench opposite a library. She can tell that it's windy and very cold but she doesn't feel it at all. She takes in her appearance and likes what she's wearing. Jeans and a pullover sweater. She should feel cold but she's very comfortable. It must be because she's an angel that she feels the way she does. As she looks around, she can see that she is in upstate New York. Really upstate because she remembers the Adirondack mountain range that is off to her right when her mom and dad took her when she was smaller.

It happens in the blink of an eye. She's now in her mother and father's apartment in New York City. She has no idea how she got here but she'll be happy with the fact that she had just traveled more than two hundred fifty-eight miles in no time at all. She hears her mother talking to her father and she gets up to investigate knowing that she hasn't seen them in over two years. She moves closer to the living room and sees her father sitting in his easy chair. Her mother is reading what looks to be like a legal brief sitting on the couch opposite him.

"Jim, I don't know how I'm going to defend this man if he keeps on breaking the law. This is his fourth arrest and third felony so that means he's going away for good no matter what I can say in his defense." Johanna tells her husband.

"Jo doesn't matter what you do some people just never learn. They keep breaking the law and no matter what amount of rehabilitation they get they never completely change."

"I just don't know what to do. Joshua Davidson is beyond rehabilitation. He pled guilty to driving while intoxicated when he was in California but now that he's back in New York he picked up exactly where he left off."

"Jo you're going to have to follow the letter of the law. Those people that he ran down in the crosswalk had the right of way and he never stopped once he did what he did. He just kept on driving dragging that little girl under his car. He left that family as he left ours, broken and missing a loved one. No, he deserves whatever you and the judge reign down on him."

Kate just looks at the revulsion on her mother's face. Johanna Beckett rises from her spot on the couch and heads through the living room to the kitchen. As she walks Kate is not exactly off to the side and Johanna walks right through her never stopping once. Kate can only spin around and wonder why her mother can't see her own daughter.


	5. Chapter 5

She becomes misty-eyed when she sees her mother weeping as she stands at the kitchen sink. She wants to reach out and comfort her but she knows that she probably won't be seen or heard. What she can't believe is that that idiot Josh had moved back to New York. She also can't see why her mother is defending him. But she has a job to do protecting Richard Castle and do it she will. Her mother fills a glass with water and drinks almost the whole glass before she returns to her father.

"Jo, you can't take each case that comes across your desk personally. He broke the law and it's your job as a District Attorney to try him in accordance with the statutes. You have more than enough witnesses to convict him so why are you acting like this?"

"Jim he killed our daughter!"

"Alright, Jo! I already know this please don't keep reminding me. What, did you want to keep him around so we can be reminded every day about what he took form us? Jo, he's a habitual drunk. He should have never been behind the wheel the night Katie died and the day he thoughtlessly ran down a family of four just crossing the street. He should be locked up and the key thrown away forever."

"Jim it hurts so much. I want him to fry in the chair."

"Oh, baby I know. And I'm sorry that you're in a position that will tear you apart by fighting for that family's justice." Jim carefully caresses his wife's cheek and then draws her into his body.

"I miss her so much Jim"

"I know love. But when you get through this he'll be sent away forever. Then you'll get your justice."

Kate just stands there with tears falling down her cheeks. She can't believe that Josh has caused this much grief for her mother and father and other innocent people.

Xx

Rick finally has his rookie somewhat trained. He might not be trained to NYPD standards, but at least he knows when to stay behind him when he's executing a search warrant. Rick shouts out,

"NYPD! Timothy Finch come out with your hands raised."

All they both hear is silence. But about thirty seconds after Rick made his demand, they hear footsteps inside the apartment. Knowing that their suspect probably has the flight or fight way about him with flight taking urgency, Rick takes a step back lifts his leg, and kicks the door wide open. What he sees facing him shakes even him. In the chair that must be the kitchen is the body of a young woman. And from the looks of it, he can tell that she's been there for at least a couple of days. Ryan never seeing a dead body since he's been on the job turns away from the crime scene in the apartment rushes out to the hallway and immediately throws up his lunch.

But Rick can't baby him right at the moment. Timothy Finch has a 9 mm pointed in his direction with his finger on the trigger.

"Finch this will only end with one of us dead. Put the gun down now." Rick says as he slowly reaches for his sidearm. He hopes she doesn't have to use it but what he sees in front of him is a desperate soul trying to find a way out. What he sees next is Finch starting to shake. The weight of the nine-millimeter he's holding will likely discharge due to his shaking trigger finger.

From the corner of his eye, he sees Ryan stumble back into the room wiping his mouth with his handkerchief. Finch automatically moves his weapon to Ryan and Rick knowing that he is oblivious to what's going on around him, Rick steps in Ryan's path essentially stopping him from moving forward.

"Come on Finch drop the gun," Rick says as he finally clears his Glock 22 .40 caliber from his holster and raises it to draw on Finch.

"You're not sending me back to jail. I won't go! Whatever this is, it ends here and now."

Ryan not knowing what to do pulls his service weapon as well and trains it on Finch. He couldn't get clear shot off because his T.O. was standing right in front of him blocking his shot.

It's like time just stood still there was no progression or regression. It's like they were mannequins just staring at each other. That's when the inevitable finally happened. Finch who has been shaking ever since this whole ordeal started couldn't hold the trigger steady and pulled it backward.

What happened next was something Rick never would thought would happen. The round was coming straight at him, center mass. He was a dead man and he knew it because today of all days he wasn't wearing his vest. It's funny the things that flow through your mind as a bullet is hurtling toward you. He knows this is the end. But what happens next is something he did not expect. He has the feeling as if he's being pulled backward like he's tripping over his own two feet but he knows that he isn't. As he falls backward where his body should have been, he sees the bullet just missing the tip of his nose as it sails on past him towards the wall behind him. The impact shatters the plaster it hits. The next thing hears another gunshot. He can tell the sound of a Glock when it is fired and since Finch had a Smith & Wesson, he knew Ryan took the next shot. He cranes his neck upwards and sees Finch falling. Blood is starting to seep from his abdomen. As he hits the ground his gun goes off one more time and it harmlessly ricochets off the door leading to the hallway.

Ten seconds later Ryan is immediately by his side checking him over for any wounds. When he finds none, he grabs Rick's forearm in his and pulls him up.

"Ryan call a bus for Finch. We need him alive." Rick orders as he slowly gets up off the floor and stands next to Finch who is still conscious. He rolls him over onto his stomach pulls both arms behind his back and handcuffs him as he reads him his Miranda Rights.

The EMTs get to the scene and Rick tells them he's to be placed in protective custody until his arraignment.

On the ride back to the precinct Ryan is babbling on about what he should or shouldn't have done. Rick knows that he should be telling him what he did wrong and what he did right but there's something nagging at the back of his mind. He knows he didn't trip over his feet and that bullet should have hit him directly in the heart. He doesn't know what happened. He doesn't want to ask Ryan and look like a total fool not that he would know the answer anyway. So, he just brushes it off that it was him just being lucky.

Xx

The feeling was one she never had before. When it happened she was filled with fear of not knowing what would happen next. Her body was taken away from her parent's apartment while they were still talking with not a warning at all. Then she was whisked away through time (she thought) and where she ended up was nowhere she wanted to be. Opening her eyes after the rush she had just felt she sees what could be a life-changing situation in front of her. She knows that if she does nothing someone will die here today. There were three men all pointing guns at each other and she can feel that the man who is shaking will lose control of the weapon he is holding…. Soon.

"Come on Finch drop the gun," Rick says as he finally clears his Glock 22 .40 caliber from his holster and raises it to draw on Finch.

"You're not sending me back to jail. I won't go! Whatever this is, it ends here and now."

Kate could only guess how this would end and it was not going to be pretty. The feeling that Sapphira had told her about did not exactly tell her who was Rick Castle she only felt drawn to one of the three more strongly. Not knowing what she should do and time was running out she sees the younger man holding a handkerchief to his face walk back in the room and decides to try something she remembered as a kid. She quickly drops to the floor on her hands and knees behind the man whose life could end. Reaching up with her hand she grips the man's belt near the small of his back and pulls him back hard and gravity does the rest. She gets the desired result because he is falling onto her back and then to the floor as the shot goes off.

Kate has the ability to be seen or not when she is near Earth-bound people. She was not ready for Rick Castle to see her just yet and wanted to see him in his element before she revealed herself to him. She watches as they handcuff the man who was shot. What she observes next is Rick trying to figure out how he was not hit by the bullet that narrowly missed him only minutes before….

 **A/N: Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year!**


	6. Chapter 6

He's been over it in his head numerous times and comes up with the same conclusion, he had to have tripped over his own feet. That was the only explanation he could come up with. He knew that he should be dead or at least in an intensive care unit now with a gunshot wound to the chest. It makes him wonder why he was not wearing his vest in the first place. He was in a rush to leave this morning but if he thought about it the vest probably would have done nothing to save him anyway. With the way he was falling the bullet would have found its way into his flesh making the vest useless.

Xx

Ryan can't believe how lucky Castle was. He was coming back from giving his statement on his first shooting as a rookie and it went well he thought. But what he can't get over is the way Castle fell. Either he is as clumsy as he stated in his description of the incident of there was something more. He remembers when he was a kid and his mother told him about angelic intervention. Up until now, he scoffed at such a notion. Now he's not so sure. What else could it be? The elevator dings and the doors open. When Ryan walks out, he sees Castle at his desk with his feet propped up on it leaning back at a very dangerous angle. As he gets closer he sees him trying to balance a pencil on his chin by the eraser side.

"Is this what the NYPD pays you for?"

The pencil falls from his chin as he turns his head. Then to make matters worse he almost falls out of the chair.

"No smart ass it's not. What they pay me for is to wait around for detectives like you who take forever to complete a simple incident report."

"Hey, it's not me! I had to deal with IA and you know that. I think I did very well saving your ass my first time out."

"Oh, that's what you're going with? You saved my ass? Even after you contaminated my crime scene with the contents of your lunch?"

"Well yeah. And I threw up in the hallway which was nowhere near your precious crime scene!"

Rick eyes Ryan a little recklessly but in the end, he decided to let him have this one. Knowing that the conversation was now over Rick gets up off the chair and heads into the break room for some coffee. Before he can even pick up his coffee mug he hears Ryan start from behind him.

"So do you want to talk about it?"

"Detective Ryan when you mention 'It' what exactly are you referring to?

"Come on Rick we both know that a grown man like yourself has more control over his motor functions than what you showed today. You can't stand there and tell me that you didn't feel anything behind your legs when Finch shot at you."

"Ryan I'm not sure what you want me to tell you. It was reflex, the shot went off and I ducked down"

"That's what you're going with?"

"Yep that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Now come on we have work to do." Ryan poured a cup of coffee and followed his T.O. out into the bullpen. No sooner did he walk out of the breakroom his Captain bellowed.

"Detective Castle, my office now!"

Xx

She did not have any time to even catch her breath. One second she was on her hands and knees behind the man she had thought was Rick Castle (she had only seen him for all of ten seconds before she saved him) and the next second she was being transported again. When she opened her eyes again she sees Sapphira looking at her oddly.

"Don't worry child the feeling will wear off very soon. This is normal to feel the feeling that you're feeling. This is our way of moving you from one location to another in a split second. Time could be of the essence if you're not where you should be."

"Did he survive?" Kate asks.

"He did. But there are some things that we have to talk about Katherine. While you might be able to be seen by earthbound people it might be prudent of you to reveal yourself sooner rather than later. This will only give you an advantage in saving Richard Castle's life in the future. But if there is a time when you should reveal yourself to him it should be in a non-life threatening situation."

"How am I supposed to reveal myself but not my mission?"

"Katherine what you need to think about is how the world would survive without Richard Castle in it. I am not allowed to give you exact future events involving him but let's just say that if he were to die before his time then all would be changed in the world… for the worse. He is responsible for a great many things in the future."

"What happens in his future?"

"Let's just say that his future position with the NYPD will come into question with a decision he will make."

"What decision?"

"Katherine, we are not here to discuss what he might or might not do. We need to talk about how you performed this afternoon."

"Was what I did wrong? I had no choice really. It was all I could come up with on such short notice from what I saw."

"Katherine, you did well today. But there needs to be a point when you intervein that you need to think about what could happen to others around you. Even though you are not able to be seen by anyone, people still might be able to sense your presence."

"I was careful. I never became visible. All I did was kneel down behind Richard Castle and pull him by his waist to fall backward over me so the bullet would miss him."

"And Katherine I commend you for that. But the other detective that was there, detective Ryan, is a true believer. He was raised a Catholic and the people who follow that religion are very respectful of it. What I mean is that they sometimes can feel things as you can."

"So he knows about me?"

"I'm sure he doesn't Katherine. But he will eventually start to put things together. What I'm asking you is to be a little more careful. Maybe revealing yourself to Richard now might be a good idea to keep detective Ryan from finding out your true identity. He will welcome you into his mentor's life. But remember becoming attached to this man is out of the question. There can be no romantic feelings towards him."

"I understand. But can I ask why?"

"Because it's forbidden. An angel can not and will not become involved with anyone who is earthbound. The consequences are not something I think you'd be able to survive."

Not that she would violate any rules but she hardly believed that she could never survive any punishment. She was an angel after all. Then she thought about who she knew was Richard Castle. He was a handsome man even possibly ruggedly handsome but she did not see them becoming involved. She shook those thoughts from her head and decided to do what she was assigned to do. She would protect him and make sure he made it home from work every day without a scratch. She now needed to think about how to tell him about her.

"Katherine your problem is easy to solve. The next time you see him make sure that you can be seen. Tell him that you are a college student writing a paper on the plight of the homeless people that are in dire need of help. Since he is a detective with the NYPD, he will show you first hand how they are dealing with this issue."

Did she just read her thoughts? She needs to stop thinking about him being handsome. It can only get her into trouble. When she looks to where Sapphira should be, she is back at her parent's apartment. It's later that when she was here earlier due to the fact that the apartment is dark. Not one light is lit except the light over the stove that acts as a nightlight of sorts.

She sits on the end of the couch her mother never uses and before she knows it she's fast asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

The next few weeks for Kate were very uneventful. She had watched over Rick but she had never revealed herself to him or Ryan. She was able to protect him in a way that still kept her identity a secret without being seen. But what she really wanted to was to study him, Ryan that is. Because to her, it seemed that he was the poster child for the Catholic religion. A golden boy of sorts. He went to church every Sunday and if he sinned, he admitted so in confession after mass. His mother was a devout Catholic and she believed that family could help with any problem. So much so that she had dinner on Sunday at three in the afternoon with every one of her children and their sons and daughters. Sundays for his family was a way to reflect. They would talk about issues that concerned all of them and tried to solve each other's problems.

Kate remembers that religion is not just what one person believes but what they need to believe in order for it to make sense.

Richard Castle, on the other hand, was a reckless, uncaring person. He was the total opposite of Ryan. He never prayed, he never went to church, he never set foot anywhere near any religious center be it a church, a synagogue, mosque, or a temple. She knows it's not her job to show him the benefits of any religion but maybe if he had a little structure he could certainly see that it could be an advantage to him. He doesn't believe in the sanctity of marriage because his wife had divorced him prior to her being his guardian. She doesn't know who's fault it was and she really doesn't care but overall he is one hot mess.

She needs to work on a way to show up in his life without throwing any question as to why she is actually there. She has a couple of ideas but she dismisses them as soon as she thinks about them due to the fact that she needs a background that she could not pull off for each one.

Xx

She is sitting in a booth at a coffee shop right after Rick and Kevin close yet another case. She can't be seen by either man but she can hear everything that they say to each other.

"So did you ever think that his wife could ever do something like that?" Kevin asks.

"Not in the least. Did you really think she had the power to lift him up off the floor and throw him that far? She was about 98 pounds soaking wet for Christ's sake."

"Rick!" Kevin said sternly.

"What Kevin?" He asks.

"Taking the Lord's name in vain! There was no need for that."

"Hey, I wasn't taking his name in vain I was just making a point. And any way I can say whatever I want to. I don't believe in any one god for any religion. Sure, there might be one supreme being that we all might face when we leave this rock, but a god for every religion? Come on Kevin."

"You know that you'll burn in hell for that right?"

"Yeah, whatever. Let's just finish our coffee and get back to the precinct. I'm sure by now the Captain already has another case lined up and waiting for us."

Kate watched from her spot in the next booth to Rick and Kavin as a group of college kids came into the coffee shop. They all sat down next to their booth and started talking about the number of papers that they needed to compete for the current semester and the deadlines they faced to get them done in time. Then she had an idea. She thought that if she was still alive she would be about the same age as these kids possibly a little older but the idea she had would work like a charm. All she needed to do was to pick a major that she could pass off as a way to sit with an active law enforcement officer. Rick would be that officer.

She knew that actually signing up for a course would be out of the question because the semester had already started. She hoped that she could just walk into the 12th and ask to be assigned with him. The only problem she could see was the Captain. He would want to be assured that if she was to follow him she was going to follow the rules about ride alongs that much she knew for sure. Just as she was going to figure out a way to tell the Captain what she needed to do but before she could she was pulled away by the feeling she really didn't like.

Xx

It was like a giant silent cyclone. The force she was pulled away from where she was immense and she knew where she was going to. The second she became aware of where she was Sapphira was looking her straight in the eye.

"Can you please stop doing that to me? It is one of the worst feelings I have ever felt in my life or what was my life. It feels like you are being sucked up through a plastic straw."

"Katherine I do apologize about the way you were brought here. But this is the only way we can bring you back up here. I brought you back here for a reason. There are certain people here who believe that you need a helping hand. So as of this morning, we knew what you had in mind concerning your higher education. The idea is a sound one and we think that this will help with hiding your identity. We have given you a head start at John Jay College. You are a junior who is studying Criminal Justice and Criminology and you will need to write a paper on the effects of wrongful arrests of minorities by the NYPD."

"Is there anything else I could do? I mean that sounds so common. What about the impact that prisoners feel when they've been wrongfully accused and put away for life and find out that DNA could prove them innocent?" Kate asked.

"I'm sure that both would work. But I'll let you decide. This will be a way to get close to Richard Castle without having him become suspicious about you and what you're doing shadowing him. You will be the one who will have to ask his captain if you can follow him around. I'm afraid that I can't influence people just like you can't so you better hope that he will let you follow Castle around. Just assure the captain that at first, you will be in more of an interview setting than actually following him around to crime scenes. But later you might need to do just that. Be prepared to be rejected by his captain, but if not, I think you'll do just fine.

"I think my parents might have met him once. He was the one who told them that I had passed away when I died in California the CHP called him to relay the notification but I can't be one hundred percent sure. I'm sure that he is a reasonable man and we should come to an agreement quickly."

"There's also one more thing I need to stress Katherine, it will be tempting and you will want to let your free will take over but you can under no circumstances become involved with anybody that you come in contact with down there. That means Detective Ryan, Detective Castle or whoever else that you might come across while you're on earth as a person to be seen."

"I don't see that as a problem because I think Mr. Castle is a bit of a jerk. Ryan, on the other hand, is the more responsible of the two. It's sad the way that Castle has no regard and all for structured religion. He puts up a good front I think denying that he denies that there is God for every religion but deep down I still think that he thinks he will be judged one day by a supreme being not necessarily a God but something he believes in."

Sapphira can only smile at her knowing that she is half right.

"Katherine, I think that you should be getting back to your charge. Remember no influence on the captain. He must make the choice to allow you to shadow Detective Castle of his own free will."

"I will. Now I have to suffer the tornado again don't I?"

"I'm afraid so. But try not to think about it that much. It only lasts a couple of seconds."

Before she knew it Kate was gone and back on Earth. But where she found herself was in an odd location than where she expected. She expected to be brought back to somewhere near the precinct that Castle and Ryan work out of. But where she finds herself is in the student library at John Jay College.

Knowing that she was put here for a reason she decides to read up a little bit on law and its associated subjects. Before she knows it, it has been two and a half hours since she has been reading there and senses that it is time to leave. That's the other thing that has her curious. She hasn't felt hunger or eaten anything since she's been here. Maybe she doesn't need food. But then again, she should at least hear or feel her stomach grumbling. But she doesn't. Why is it she always remembers these questions after she leaves? Maybe she might be able to get some answers if she kept these questions in her head.

Xx

"Castle listen there's no way you can get away with doing something like this! The reports have to be filled out and since you're the arresting officer you need to do them. I know you're trying to get away with making me your slave boy but that ends now." Ryan practically shouted at him with most of the precinct listening in.

The second Ryan left to go to the men's room, Captain Montgomery came up behind Rick.

"That looked like it was painful Rick. He finally grew himself a pair of balls and put you in your place. I'm glad he finally found his voice."

"Come on Roy! If I don't teach him how to do this who will? He still a rookie Roy and If he doesn't learn how to do this it's not just going to magically be filled out in front of him where he can file it away and that's the end of the case."

"I can't believe my ears! This coming from the man who neglected filling out an arrest report just to see if he could get away with it for a year and a half. You never filled out of arrest report until you were made to by me no less. Rick, you got to give him props because he probably went to the rule book and looked up who's is supposed to do that! So, don't blame him for doing what's right. When will you ever learn?"

"Never, I guess. So, should I just cut him loose when he gets back from using the little boy's room?"

"Yeah for once give him a break. He deserves it. And while you're at it you can fill out the rest of that report because you were the arresting officer. Goodnight Rick." Captain Montgomery returns to his office, picks up his briefcase and coat and heads for the elevator.

Xx

Kate who had been studying some law books decided to take a couple of them with her. Leaving the library at John Jay college she headed downtown towards the 12th precinct. By the time she arrived there, she turned to go up the steps that lead to the lobby doors of the precinct and to her surprise Detective Kevin Ryan comes bursting through the doors almost knocking her over.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. I finally get some time to myself to see my girlfriend and leave the precinct at a decent hour and I almost knocked you over in the process.

"Wait So you're telling me that Detective Castle is up there all by himself?"

"I'm not telling you that but yes he is up there all alone filling out a report that he was going to make me fill out. He tried to push it off on me when it was his job in the first place. Wait who are you and how do you know him?"

"It's a long story detective. Have a great night and say hello to Jenny for me." Kate says as she enters the 12th.

"Yeah… I will." Kevin just rubbed the five o'clock shadow on his chin trying to remember when he told this stranger about his girlfriend.

Now she can only hope he is going to be receptive to what she has in mind.


	8. Chapter 8

Seconds after she bid detective Ryan goodbye she was rushing up the stairs to the precinct. She needed to talk with Richard Castle and see if she could make him see the error of her reckless ways. If he was not careful, he would die in the line of duty she knew this much she just didn't know when.

"Detective Castle you don't get to leave here until those arrest reports for the DA are complete. And I don't want to hear one inkling about how you think your rookie needs structure or guidance by doing this work for you. Am I clear?" Roy almost shouted.

"Crystal sir," Rick replied.

"Good night and enjoy your weekend."

Silence fell over the bullpen as Rick watched Roy stab the down button on the elevator. When the doors opened, he was gone and Rick was by himself.

"That looked painful the way he yelled at you but you did deserve it." A voice from behind him said.

When Rick swung around in his chair and saw no one. The bullpen was empty and the incoming shift downstairs had already left on patrol. He turned back to his desk to finish his report.

"You know you should not have taken Kevin for granted. He only wants to do a good job and you are taking advantage of his good nature."

Rick drops the pen he's holding and quickly stands up searching for the voice he keeps hearing but still finds no one there.

"Who's there?" He calls out.

Silence. No one answered him and the floor is still empty. It is Friday night and the usual complement of detectives in homicide have all gone home. He sits back down thinking that he is going crazy and wonders if he could use that as an excuse to push this report off until Monday. So, he sits back in his chair to give it some more thought.

"Why can't you just fill out the report and go home? Then you'll have the weekend to relax."

"Alright, this is not funny! Where the hell are you? Show yourself right now!" Rick automatically went for his Glock as a precaution.

"Your weapon is useless. Finish your report and we'll talk again sometime soon."

Rick scanned the entire area in a 360⁰ sweeping motion and found not one soul anywhere near him. Disappointed he sat back down and started to fill out the report he was ordered to fill out.

Xx

Kate could only giggle as she walked down the back stairway to the first floor. Once outside she felt pretty good about herself. She taught him a lesson that he profoundly needed. He was an arrogant ass and she needed to take him down a peg or two. It's too bad that she could not be seen by anyone there including him. In the meantime, she would go back to the college's library and work on how she would insert herself into his life. Monday would prove to be very interesting.

Xx

Monday came and Rick really hated himself for what tried to do to Ryan on Friday. Maybe there was a way he could make it up to him. He knew that he has a girlfriend and they recently moved into an apartment together so he could possibly get him a house warming gift? He was at odds. The ride to the fourth floor was over before he knew it and the second he walked off the elevator all he heard was his boss calling him into his office. He knows that the report was finished on Friday night and in his inbox so he can't think of anything he could be in trouble for. When he gets closer to Roy's office, he notices a very young looking woman standing in the front of his desk talking to him.

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

"I did. Detective Castle let me introduce you to Kate Beckett. She is in need of the NYPD's assistance."

"Sir?" Rick knew where this was heading and he didn't like it one bit.

"It seems that Miss Beckett here is writing her thesis on the NYPD's procedures on how they deal with a wrongful arrest in a murder case. Your job will be to let her tag along to crime scenes that have been deemed safe so she can get a feel for what we deal with on a daily basis. I want to stress that you are only to bring her to crime scenes that have no threat attached to them."

"Sir maybe robbery might be a safer option for miss Beckett here. We are still working the Vandergrift case and that has political implications. I'm sure the mayor wants a quick resolution to this case and in my opinion, miss Beckett would be hindering our progress if she tags along as you so eloquently put it."

Roy sat down and thought about what Rick just said. He was not going to give into shipping her off to robbery. No, she would hitch her horse to Rick's wagon and he would need to accept that. Eloquent my ass.

"Detective, I think that this arrangement will be beneficial for both of you. Miss Beckett will see what is involved in you doing your job and you will learn a little respect towards your fellow man."

"Roy come on! The Vandergrift case is too important for me to have a tag along. He was one of the mayor's closest friends and his donations alone are what put him in office. Are you going to be the one to tell him that I'll be dragging my feet on that case to babysit miss Beckett here?"

"Do you know who you are talking to? I am your superior officer! I am the one who tells you what to do not the other way around. You will let miss Beckett have total access to what she needs to write her thesis. After that is done, we will have a serious talk about your attitude detective! Dismissed."

Rick walks out running his hand through his hair trying to figure out where this all went wrong. Kate follows reluctantly. It's then when Ryan walks onto the homicide floor.

"Castle, what's going on?" Kevin asks.

"If you want answers, ask her!" Rick says as he points to Kate over his shoulder.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"Out!"

With that Rick walks out of the bullpen and disappears into the stairwell. That left Kate standing in the middle of the bullpen looking awkwardly at detective Ryan. Kevin looked over at her and realized that they met last night when he just about ran her over on the stairway.

"Uh, hello. I'm Detective Kevin Ryan." Kevin said as he extended his hand for a handshake.

"Hi, Kevin. I'm Kate Beckett. I was or I am writing a thesis on when a person is wrongfully arrested and the impact it has on their lives afterward."

"A college girl huh? What school?"

"John Jay College of Criminal Justice. I'm in my last semester and this thesis counts for over sixty percent of my grade. I need to do well or four years will be thrown away just like that." Kate snaps her finger to show how fast it could all be gone.

"Well as you can see, detective Castle just stormed out of here. But he'll be back. He has been acting a little strange lately. I can't put my finger on it but to me, he seems like he has a black cloud hanging over him. Like he knows something bad will happen and he's not sharing what it is. That is the one thing I don't like about him. Don't get me wrong he's a great T.O. but he has the personality of a wet mop. Ever since his divorce, he's been withdrawn. He hardly engages anyone male or female anymore. He comes in, puts in his eight, and then he leaves."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe I should request a different detective to show me around?"

"Kate I think you have one of the NYPD's best to do just that. Just let him cool down a little. I'm guessing that my captain assigned him to guide you through what we do here on a daily basis?"

"He did and then Detective Castle went ballistic. I'm not that bad once you get to know me and I have a great sense of humor."

"I don't doubt that at all but for now why don't you try to keep that side of yourself away from Castle that is until you can feel him out a little."

"Okay. So how is your girlfriend doing?"

"Jenny? She's doing great. She just became a teacher at PS 11. She teaches the fourth grade and loves it. It's a lot of work and I think that's what makes her strive to do the best she can."

"I'm glad detective Ryan," Kate says.

"Please, it's Kevin. What made you want to take up criminal justice?"

"Easy. Both of my parents were attorneys. They were always fighting for the little guy. Sometimes they would take on a case for no fees at all. But they had a small boutique firm in midtown. My dad would let my mom take a pro bono case, work it and get a great outcome and then they would switch. He'd take a pro bono and she would sink her teeth into a civil case. together they were unstoppable. They once made the cover of American Lawyer for the work they did."

"Amazing. I'm glad you had parents who loved their daughter so much."

"They did. And they never got that involved that they forgot about my needs or just being there for me."

Xx

He'd needed some time to get back in control. But every time he thought about what Roy wanted him to do the anger came up once again. Why did he have to babysit some co-ed? He was a grown man and he was going to put his foot down. There was no way he would do this without telling Roy how he felt about an untrained civilian following him around like a lost puppy. And he was to take her to 'safe' crime scenes? There was no such animal. Every scene was different and danger could be lurking there without him even knowing it. But in the end, he knew that Roy would not relent and he'd be beating a dead horse trying to get his point across so he just accepted it. But he did not have to like it. He paid for his coffee and made his way out of the corner coffee shop. When he did he heard the pained shout for help coming from the alley to his right….


	9. Chapter 9

"HELP ME! PLEASE, SOMEONE, HELP ME!"

He had just made it to the coffee shops front door and stepped out turning left intending to head towards the 12th. Then he heard the screaming from the alley. His hand automatically dropped the coffee cup and he pulled his Glock 22 from its holster as he spun around in the opposite direction heading towards the threat. Using the brick wall for cover he pops his head out around the corner for a quick look. What he sees in that brief second disgusts him. It's a very large Puerto Rican man and he is holding a knife against the throat of a woman who looks to be in her sixties. She's struggling to keep her skirt on her body but the man is simply overpowering her pushing it further up around her waist and trying to pull down her underwear.

He is going to need a plan and quickly because he doesn't have much time. He looks around on the off chance that there is a patrol car cruising by but he sees nothing but taxis and personal cars. He has no time to call this in because if he does he'll waste valuable time doing just that. Making the decision he turns the corner and shouts,

"NYPD Stop!" He said with his gun raised and ready to fire.

"Seriously? What are you going to do about it cop?"

"If you don't drop the knife you'll find out."

"I ain't afraid of you cop. Now leave me alone. I'm havin myself a little fun."

Rick stood there not believing this guy. He was practically raping this woman and he had the balls to tell him to leave him alone?

"Drop the knife or I will shoot you where you stand!" Rick demanded.

That seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back. In all his years as a cop walking a beat, and being a detective, he had never seen someone move as fast as this man did. Whether he did it out of spite or aggravation or just to prove he was in control, he stabbed the woman he was attempting to rape in her midsection. She fell to the ground in a heap holding her abdomen. And in a split second, he turned, rushed forward and was on top of Rick in the blink of an eye. He never expected this guy to move as fast as he did for his size which was a mistake on his part. By the time he realized what was happening, the shot he fired went wide and missed his attacker ricocheting off the alley wall. Rick raised his arms to deflect any punches the guy might throw. It was then when he remembered that the man had a knife. The pain was not that bad at the first intrusion into his gut. But after multiple stab wounds to his abdomen, he slouched against his attacker because he couldn't take the pain any longer. What felt like an hour was actually only a minute and a half. When the man was done stabbing him, he let him fall to the ground. Adding insult to injury, his attacker dropkicked Rick in the side of the head. Then everything went black.

Xx

Kate was learning everything she could from Kevin Ryan. What he was telling her had her riveted to his every word. He came from a very large close-knit family. There was no shortage of people in his family that would help anyone if they asked for help. She wanted to know why he wanted to enter law enforcement and he told her.

"I was the smallest of four boys. I was always getting pushed around and never got what I wanted from my brothers. So, in order for me to get back some of my self-esteem and pride, I joined the NYPD. And at times I have been known to flex a little bit of muscle. But not with a suspect." He added quickly.

Kate was so engrossed in hearing about his life when he was younger that neither of them heard Captain Montgomery walk up to the side of his desk. He stood there for a second trying to gather the strength to speak to them. Kevin is just finishing up the story about how his sister Bree ended up with gum in her hair at his hand. Then he looks to his captain who is standing next to his desk grappling with something internally.

"Captain Montgomery?" Kevin asks cautiously.

"Detective Ryan, I need you to head over to Lenox Hospital. It seems that detective Castle has been injured in an attempt to stop a sexual attack on a woman near Phil's coffee shop."

"Wait what?"

Kate's face went ash white. How had she not known that he was being hurt? She was put here to protect him. She looks at Captain Montgomery in shock.

"Miss Beckett I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Detective Ryan will drop you off at your dorm if you want."

"Captain, can I go with detective Ryan to the hospital?

"I am not sure if that's such a good idea. Detective Castle was stabbed twenty-eight times and it does not look like he'll pull through the surgery. He has too much internal damage for the doctors to repair. I know that I had you tag along with him for your paper, but I think now that it might be better if you were not here."

Kate nearly fell over after her knees gave out from under her. She stopped herself from completely falling by grabbing the corner of Ryan's desk.

Xx

If anyone was lucky it was Rick Castle. As he laid in the alley bleeding out, a twelfth precinct patrol car drove by Phil's coffee shop. The two patrolmen who were alert to their beat stopped the car when they witnessed a man covered in blood running out of the alley. They immediately pulled over and stopped the man from trying to get away. Upon further investigation, they realized that one of their own was involved and they called for medical aid with no delay. The medical crew that responded wasted no time getting Rick to the Lenox ER. Once there he was assessed and it was determined that he would bypass the trauma room and be brought directly to surgery to save his life. If the doctor guessed he'd have no less than thirty minutes to keep his patient from leaving this earth in a box.

Xx

What happened next was what threw him. His life just about flashed by before his eyes. Even though he was in surgery and unconscious he sees visions of his mother, his boss, and partner. Then it just goes blank. After a couple of seconds of darkness, he sees the new college student he was assigned to show around. She has an aura around her like she's some sort of supreme being. That's crazy because he knows her to be a college student and not someone who looks like an angel. When the image of her ends it becomes very bright. So bright it's becoming hard to look away from the light. He doesn't know if he should walk away or move towards it knowing that this could be the end for him. He doesn't know what to do so In keeping with inquisitive nature he turns away from the light.

Xx

She can feel it happening again. The tornado effect rips her right from the sidewalk is standing on as she watches is detective Ryan drive away towards the hospital. Before she realizes it, she's no longer on earth. Even though she cannot see what is going on around her she can still hear faint voices talking as vortex around her swirls more violently delivering her to heaven.

 _"Sapphira you need to understand. I was right in what I had originally thought about her abilities. She never made it to protect him from the person who almost killed him. Maybe this was too much for her on her first assignment or maybe it was she was the wrong person for the job. I know he has plans for her but if she can't protect the one person on earth she was given, then why would he insist she take care of him?"_ Raguel asks.

 _"Raguel, I know he has plans for her but maybe something was wrong? Maybe this was a test by him to prove that she can make the right decisions when she needs to. Let's face it the man did not succeed in killing her charge. We need answers so we need to speak to the all mighty in order to find out what he has planned for her. He very well could have stopped her from getting her premonition and decided to see what she did."_

 _"I don't like it. This is why this should be left to us. He might have an agenda, but we need to know what it is in order for us to do our jobs to the best of our abilities. This is something I really don't like discussing so let's give her the space she needs in order to find out what happened. Maybe she can tell us what she felt when she was talking to detective Ryan."_

The swirling tornado effect stopped. Kate felt a little queasy when it did but she quickly overcame it. When she opened her eyes, she was looking directly at Sapphira and Raguel. And they did not look happy in the least.

"Katherine, we need to make sure you know why you are here. I think you have a pretty good idea to start with but we just need to confirm with you that your charge almost died today. Raguel and I would like to know if you had any indication or premonition prior to Detective Castle being stabbed? What I mean is, did you feel anything that would indicate he was facing a life or death situation?"

"No. I never felt anything like I did before when the other man shot at him. It was like how I got here just seconds ago. The tornado sucked me up and deposited me right outside the apartment where he was almost shot. I felt it then. It was like we were connected in a way. I knew he was facing a situation that could have ended his life but then it felt like it could have ended mine as well. I mean it's hard to describe it's like I could have taken his place and taken the bullet for him but I had come up with a better plan and did not have to expose myself on that day. When captain Montgomery told us what happened to him I never had that feeling again as I did a month and a half ago."

"We're going to have to go to a higher level to find out what we need to do next. We need to explain to him what you told us and what actually happened. Maybe from that point, we can find out what it is that happened to your premonition powers. Until then you'll be here until we make a decision on what to do with you. And it isn't outside possibility that you might be reassigned to a different charge." Raguel said and Sapphira nodded along.

"Really? I was just getting used to detective Castles brash attitude and total disregard for life!" Kate said sarcastically.

Sapphira looked at Kate with a scowl on her face hoping that she understood her meaning.

"Katherine, we'll discuss your attitude later. We'll return with a decision on what will happen with you." Sapphira said as she disappeared in the tornado.


	10. Chapter 10

_It has been three months since Rick was stabbed…_

"I can't do this! It's causing me too much pain." Rick shouted out at his physical therapist.

"Detective Castle without these exercises you will never be cleared for a return to duty."

"I don't care. I am not sure if I want to go back to work as a cop after what has happened to me."

Sean just looked at his patient and wondered what would cause him not to want to go back to work.

"Listen, detective, you need to have a positive outlook on life I guarantee it will help you make it through this. The will to live is so important in situations like this."

"Sean cut the shit! Don't give me your holier than thou outlook on life. I almost died. I don't need your positive outlook speech. I was stabbed and left for dead. Now can I go back to my room now?" Rick angrily asks.

Sean had never seen such a person as Rick Castle. It was like he had given up on life and self-preservation. True he did not know what it was like to be stabbed in the manner that Rick was stabbed in, but he still wanted to see the best in whoever he works with. Including Rick.

"Sure detective, but we will be picking this up the same time tomorrow. You can't fall behind in your rehab." Sean stressed.

"Whatever," Rick mumbled as he made his way back out of the physical therapy room holding his midsection.

Xx

Ryan was upset with himself. He should have been right beside his T.O. three months ago. And if you asked him, he'd never live down the guilt that he wasn't there. He sought help with his family and they all suggested Father Brennan. The Roman Catholic priest has been guiding their family for years. He has married almost his whole family and christened all of his nieces and nephews. If anyone can help it would be him. But no matter how many times he sat in the rectory, he can't get over the fact that he's here for something he did wrong.

"Kevin, how are you?"

"I'm doing well Father Brennan."

The priest just looked at the young man and wondered what he was here for. He'd give him a minute or two before he asked him if he didn't tell him what was wrong himself.

"Father Brennan, it seems that I might have let someone down that I know."

"How so Kevin?"

"My training officer was stabbed about three months ago. And I can't get over the fact that if I was with him when this happened it might not have happened."

Father Brennan who had known Kevin since he received his first communion looked at him as if he was looking for a mask and cape.

"Kevin I am going to tell you that you're not Superman or any other superhero. I bet it's safe to say that you are not faster than a speeding bullet nor can you be in two places at the same time. If this guilt is what's bothering you then you should not let it rule your feelings. What happened was an unfortunate event. And no way could you be held responsible. The Lord looks on you in many different ways but blaming you is not one of them. So, you should not feel any kind of guilt for what happened."

"But he could have died that day."

"You're right he could have. But the Lord above would have plans for him as well. Kevin, we are all put on this Earth with his purpose in mind. Once we have completed what he asks of us he calls us back home. But let me give you another scenario. If you _were_ with him when he was stabbed that day? What would you do if the man who stabbed your training officer killed you?"

Kevin just sat there with a dumbfounded look on his face. He had never thought of anything like that happening to him. Now that Father Brennan had put it in that perspective, he realizes that his reasoning is right. He shouldn't feel guilty for something he has no control over.

"I'm not sure. I'd be dead so I would have a lot of family upset with me."

"Kevin, what about Jenny? I think that she would be upset or devasted is a better word about what could've happened. You two are getting married soon and I'm sure you'll start a family of your own. There is no wrong answer here Kevin but your training officer survived the attack and I hear he is getting stronger every day. Just keep him in your prayers."

"Thank you, Father Brennan," Kevin says as he gets up to leave.

Xx

Kate can't believe that it has been three months since she had last been down to the surface. She had the pleasure of meeting God. But meeting him is nothing that she has ever experienced before. It's like he takes a form that we would know him as like a human form but had an aura around him. Instead of taking the form of a man or woman god was more like a spirit. One that you could barely see. And when he spoke it was mostly whispering that you heard when he replied. He would answer a direct question and wouldn't leave you asking another one just to be sure you knew what he meant, he was direct.

 _ **Flashback three months prior….  
**_

" _I am positive. He wants to talk_ _to you. Maybe then we can get some answers as to why you never felt your charge suffering bodily harm." Raguel asked._

 _Kate could only stand there accepting his rage until he left._

 _"You will be summoned and it will feel a lot like when you go to the earth's surface. But without the spinning and whirling around. It will feel like a Ferris wheel. When you get to the top you don't come back down to simply step off and wait."_

 _"But before he summons you, we need to discuss your attitude towards your charge Richard Castle. Katherine, do you understand the gift that you've been given?" Sapphira asks._

 _"Sapphira he acts like he had not one care about preserving his life. He would gladly throw it all away to give someone else the chance at living!"_

 _"Katherine, listen to what you last said."_

 _Kate goes over what she told Sapphira and her cheeks blush._

 _"So he does this on purpose? Does he have no regard for his life?"_

 _"Katherine you need to understand he has been through a lot in his lifetime. He has sacrificed more than you will know."_

 _"Tell me what he has endured."_

 _"I'm sorry but this will need to wait. You are being summoned by the almighty."_

 _Kate can only see Sapphira as she is whisked away from her. She is pulled away from Sapphira and she doesn't think this is the way that she should be meeting the almighty. But whatever the case is she is being transported from where she is in a room that is almost barren of any light._

 _"My child, tell me why it is that you have feelings for this being…a Richard Castle?"_

 _Kate could see nothing. The room or wherever she was is pitch black. There is no light anywhere._

 _"I do not have those kinds of feelings for this mortal."_

 _"Balderdash! You forget with who you are talking to child. I can see things that you can't hide."_

 _The room was instantly flooded with light. Then it dimmed just enough for Kate to see his holiness. He appeared as more of a mist to her and that was what she was looking at._

 _"Don't be afraid child this is how I present my form to everyone I talk to."_

 _"I do not have feelings for Richard Castle."_

 _"There's where you are wrong my child. He was maimed or as you say stabbed, I think it is the right term. You were not allowed to receive his distress call. Now it's true that he can keep his feelings hidden from you and he did on this day, but he has shown that he was negligent with his performance of his duties. He was thinking about you when he was stabbed. This is why you never 'felt' him when he was stabbed."_

 _"Me? He hardly knows who I am. I have a better relationship with his trainee detective Ryan."_

 _"You might be close to him, but Richard Castle hides what he feels when you are around. Have you not noticed that he shies away from what you say or do in his presence? This is where you need to become stronger in spirit. He will be back to work by the time you return to the surface. But be forewarned Katherine giving into your feelings for Richard will only result in your life as an angel will cease to exist. I will summon you when I feel it's the right time to return to him. Until then seek out_ _Sapphira for additional guidance. She can help._ _"_

Xx

 _ **Present-day…**_

Rick was done with physical therapy. Literally. He had enough of Sean and his gung-ho attitude. He checked himself out of the facility AMA. But he had an ace up his sleeve. Sean had signed his authorization to return to work yesterday thinking he would be there until the week was finished. He had his paperwork in hand to return to work and nothing would stop him now. There was a brief moment in his room before he left if this was really what he wanted to do, but there was no one to go home to, no one to tell his problems to and most of all no one to love. No, he was finished with trying to please everyone else, that stopped now. He would be on the straight and narrow now. No more bullshit. He'd be a by the book prick and screw anyone who'd try to tell him otherwise. Ryan would learn the ropes and then he'd be done with him. After he was on his own again, he would ease back into his comfortable routine. Him alone with no one to bother him…

 **A/N: I have no excuse for not posting anything for this story in such a long time. Life got a lot hectic from the last posting until now. I will try to wrap this up as soon as possible.**  
 **P2P**


	11. Chapter 11

There were times when his captain could really get up in his shit. This was one of those times. He was standing in front of his captains's desk listening to him give him an order which he instantly turned down. He had flat out turned him down when he tried to reinsert the college student into his life again. His only word to his boss was "NO".

"Detective Castle there is no turning this down. She will be by your side and you will show her how our homeless outreach program works. And that's an order I will enforce!"

"Captain Montgomery, I respectfully decline your order. Stick her with detective Ryan because I am not dealing with this. Remember I am a by the book cop now. And according to the regulations in the NYPD Patrol Guide and the NYPD detective guide from which I quote: "No member of the NYPD either ranked or non-ranked will lead around, engage in sensitive material in regards to NYPD procedure or place anyone in harm's way while discharging his or her duties." That's me and I am not allowed to have her follow me. Now detective Ryan out there is a little more gullible and he has a heart so maybe you could pawn her off onto him. As for me, I have paperwork from the last case to close out. Sir."

"Detective Castle that paperwork had better be pristine. I will be going over your paperwork with a fine-toothed comb all your 'T's crossed and 'I's dotted. If there is one mistake you will be doing it all over again. Two can play your game and I have been playing this game a lot longer than you. Dismissed."

Rick walked back to his desk and thought about what just happened in his captain's office. He wasn't wrong and there is no way in hell he was going to be paired up with a college student again. As he sits down at his desk, he starts going over the paperwork that needs to be finished to close out the case they just solved. Ryan who had been assigned a new training officer to get him through the rest of the procedures while he was in the hospital going through rehab sits across from him. He had learned a lot. And after giving him a few scenarios on what was to happen Rick gladly signed off on detective Ryan's advancement to full-fledged detective.

"So detective Castle, today looks like a paper work day for the both of us," Ryan says.

"That it does detective Ryan. Now that you are a full-fledged detective you can start your part of the interviews that need to be transcribed and add them to the report. In the meantime, I will work on witness statements and the DD fives."

Rick held nothing against Kevin. He was a good cop and he would only get better from this point forward. He wondered how long it would take Roy to assign the college kid to him. He knew that's how it was going to go because no one else here could spare the time to be with her.

"Ryan, have you seen or heard from that college kid who was tagging around before I got stabbed since I've been in the hospital?"

"She came by 2 or 3 times while you were in the hospital to see how you were doing. We gave her the address of the hospital and the rehab center and left it at that. Did she come to see you?"

"Not once. It's just as well anyway."

Rick got back to doing his paper work and before he knew it, it was lunchtime. Since he was now a by the book cop, he had decided to call in an order for his food from a very good Chinese take-out restaurant. When it was delivered, he would sit in the break room and eat it in his allotted 30-minute lunch period.

Xx

Kate had heard the whole conversation Rick had earlier with his captain. Actually, she was at the precinct when Rick was getting his head chewed out by his captain, not that anybody could see her but she was there. And she was wrong and now she knows it. She should've gone to the hospital to see him at least once but in the three months that have gone by to her it only felt like 5 minutes and she was being reprimanded as well. Sapphira had taught her some new things that she could do. Reading people's thoughts and moving from one place to another in a split second was now possible for her. She still can't interfere with the person's free will but she can observe.

She watches him as he gets back on the elevator in the lobby after getting his Chinese food to head back up to the fourth floor. In a split-second, she is standing behind a detective Ryan. Not only can she hear what's going on around her she is able to hear what Kevin is thinking.

 _"If I ask Jenny out on a second date do I need to tell her that I really, really like her when the date is over? Should I wear something casual or formal to dinner tonight?"_

Kate giggled to herself at what Kevin was thinking. Then she heard the elevator doors slide open. She moved over to the conference room where she knew he was going to eat his lunch. She made herself comfortable and sat down in a seat near him. At first, she heard nothing. It was like the man wasn't even thinking the only thing he was concentrating on was eating his lunch. No thoughts in his subconscious and he wasn't even thinking about anything to do with the job. His head was filled with a whole bunch of nothing. Ten minutes go by and Kate finally hears his mind start making some noise.  
 _  
_ _"_ _There is no way I'm going out in the field again. What I should have done is retired or resign after I was stabbed. I just didn't know it then but this is not what I want to be doing. Putting my life on the line every_ _d_ _ay is getting kind of old. Maybe if I suck up to Roy_ _,_ _he might be able to see about a different command that has a desk job for me to take over_ _."_

Kate needed to leave and come back as a person who could be seen by earthbound people. She transitioned herself to the lady's room stall in the coffee shop around the corner. Seeing that the stall was empty she became visible to everyone. Stepping out of the stall she leaves the coffee shop and heads back towards the 12th. Taking the elevator, she decides to check in with captain Montgomery and explain why she was gone for so long. What she didn't realize is that unless she zoned in on one person, in particular, she heard everyone's thoughts in about a ten-foot radius. She is bombarded by what the captain is thinking about as she enters his office. He's thinking about how he is going to seduce his wife tonight with a sensual massage and then …well that's a little X-rated for even her to repeat.

"Ah Ms. Beckett. Long-time no see."

"Hello, captain Montgomery. I do need to apologize for being away for so long but I was putting together the final notes for my thesis and that took up a lot of my free time."

"That's understandable Ms. Beckett. I am going to need to explain about the change in who you follow from now on. Detective Castle is now being a prick, excuse my language but he is now using the detectives guide against me. Even though he is right I can't let you follow him around any longer."

"That's too bad captain. So, who am I going to be paired with?"

"Detective Ryan for the time being."

"Since when did Detective Castle decide to throw me to the wayside?" Kate says with a wink and a smile.

"He is using the detective's guide to say that he can't make sure that you are safe when you are in his care. He thinks that you could be injured or killed in a situation gone bad. And frankly, I sadly agree with him. Your time spent here will be with detective Ryan and you will not leave this floor. If they are called out into the field on an arrest or in a support role that they are needed for you are to stay here."

"I understand captain. My research is almost done here."

"Good. Now, why don't you see Ryan and get what you need to finish your paper."

"I will and thank you sir." Kate leaves his office and as she does, she can hear Kevin still thinking about what to wear for his date with Jenny tonight. Then she hears something that she'd never thought she would hear.

 _"God here she comes. I hope that Roy put her with Ryan. I really am a fool for thinking that I could put her out of my mind. She is so beautiful. I don't even have a chance with her. What would a young, adorable, smart collage student want with a run down over the hill old guy like me? There is just something that I can't resist. She is someone who could understand me if I gave her the chance."_

After hearing what he was thinking she is rattled. She never thought he felt that way towards her. But she remembers something her mother told her when she was younger. If a boy treats you badly he really likes you. If he treats you nice he can't stand you. Her mom's statement fits in her mind. Does he really like her?

Rick looked up as Kate walks by. The second she does he can catch the scent of her perfume. It smells like strawberries. She stops at Ryan's desk and gently nudges his arm to let him know that she is there.

"Detective Ryan, it seems that detective Castle has decided to hand me over to you to finish my research. Is there anything that you can tell me about what happens to the homeless when the cold sets in?"

Kate turns to look at Rick and she can see that he is still looking at her with what she thinks is love in his eyes...


	12. Chapter 12

She knew it was wrong and that she should have never thought it. But she never thought that her thoughts could have been invaded by her mentor Sapphira or now the question is would she betray her. It was she who pulled her back up to the heavens. She is only glad that when it was done, she was at her place and not in front of him. Yes, him, one Richard Castle. She had done what she was warned against and now she had to pay the price. She was thinking with her heart and not her brain. She imagined that they were in a relationship and that they were doing things that were what two consenting adults would be doing in a relationship like this. They were having sex and it was beautiful. When she was alive, she never had a man who could do what Rick was doing to her even if she was only thinking about it in her mind. He pleasured every part of her body. She never knew how sensitive the area behind her knees was until he made her aware of it. Just as he was about to make love to her, her mind went blank and she was whisked away in the tornado. Raguel and Sapphira were standing there and when the winds died down on Kate's side, she could tell that they were not happy.

Xx

He is still thinking about putting in his papers and calling it quits. He is reminded of her every day when she comes in to see Ryan. In the last month that she has been with him she has completed her thesis and was winding down her time here with the NYPD. Kate wanted to show her appreciation and have a small get together at a local pub for all the help they had given her. Ryan was the first to suggest that they forget it and just have a sendoff party in the conference room instead. Kate did not understand why he didn't want to go out and celebrate. But after some prodding on her part, he told her that he would rather spend time with Jenny and he didn't trust himself to go overboard with alcohol at the pub.

Rick, on the other hand, hadn't said two words to her since she came back. And she wondered why. She screwed on her courage she walked over to his desk and asked him why he was being so cold towards her.

"Detective Castle, I was wondering if you're going to come to our small get together before I leave here?" Kate asked him.

Rick just sat there not even acknowledging that she had even spoken to him. When she asked the question again, he put down the pen he was writing with and looked up at her blankly.

"Ms. Beckett, first of all, I am not interested in attending a going away party for you during working hours. It's against the regs. So, no thank you, but thank you for considering me."

Kate knew that he was lying through his teeth. Instead of arguing with the man she decided to do the one thing that she swore she would never do in his presence, she would listen to what he was thinking. She took a step back and concentrated on him.

His mind was a maze of thoughts more than anything else. He was thinking about the paperwork he was working on, Ryan and his soon to be wife, his ex-wife Gina and how she was doing in prison and if she dug just a little deeper, she knew that she would hit pay dirt, and she did. He was thinking about her.

 _"There is no way that I can make it through the day without seeing her. She is like a drug and I am an addict. I was such an ass when I told her that I didn't need her in my life, but how can I tell her that I am in love with her? Ugh, this is so confusing. I just wish there was a manual telling what to do about my feelings towards her."_

Xx

Raguel stood there looking at her as if he was better than her and if she thought about it in a way he was. She had done the one thing that he warned her about. She had fallen in love with a mortal. That was unheard of and she awaited her punishment. But was it a punishment? She was never in love when she was alive. These feelings she was having towards Rick were normal for a woman her age. Maybe… she was drawn from her thoughts when Raguel started talking.

"Katherine we are at an impasse. You were warned many times about letting your feelings for a mortal influence your mission. Nevertheless, you have succeeded in completing your mission, but you have violated our decrees. This has never been an issue in the past with any of our other charges. You will be banished to purgatory where you will spend eternity thinking about your sins. Specifically, the Seventh Terrace. This is what you deserve."

Sapphira thinks that this punishment is a bit harsh and wants to stop Raguel from committing Katherine basically to hell because to her that's what it would be. As she is about to offer a compromise, the room that they are in darkens and a low whistling is heard all around them.

"Raguel we do not teach this with new charges. Why would you banish a prospective angel with such potential as Katherine into the gates of hell? If you think this is the path to her redemption then I have failed you."

Raguel looked to his left as the whistling subsides and what he sees shocks him.

"Please forgive me, Lord." He says as he bows.

"Raguel, it is not a matter of forgiveness. You need to be in tune with that way people feel so to speak."

"Lord I am against sending Katherine to the gates of hell. The only lesson that she will learn is one of anguish and misery. And also, being alone." Sapphire adds.

"Do not worry my child. I have a solution that will be beneficial for all involved. Please don't fret."

Raquel has never been so insulted. He wants her to learn a lesson and wants her sent to the Seventh Terrace.

"Raguel I can still read your thoughts remember?" The lord said.

Raguel stopped thinking about sending her anywhere. Kate finally found her voice and asks the creator what he has in mind.

"Lord I have sinned and my punishment should be for me to be banned to purgatory. It's what I deserve."

"Katherine, why would you think that this is something you deserve? I know that you are young and we might not have given you all the tools you needed to get your mission complete but you did so, which shows me that you can complete tasks with little assistance from your spiritual guides."

"I was able to complete my mission. And even though you think that I did not have the tools that I needed to do that task I did. Sapphira was with me every step of the way. She guided me when I became lost."

"I agree." Then the Lord looks over to his two minions and comes to a decision.

"Katherine, I have a proposal for you to consider. I know that you have feelings for this Mr. Castle. And while that's a violation of our rules here I'm willing to make an exception if you will accept it."

"I understand," Kate replies.

"I can tell you that Sapphira and Raguel have been doing the tasks that I assign them for thousands of years now and I think that when it comes to matters of the heart they are a little lost."

"I am not one to question your decisions lord."

"Katherine what I am going to propose is that you will be able to pursue your true love. However, there will be costs involved that could be a challenge for you."

"A challenge your lord?" Kate asked a lot confused.

"Since your life was cut short years ago you were too young to have the experience loving somebody while you were alive. What I am proposing to do is to give you back what was taken from you. But there is a catch. If you agree to this arrangement the one you love will have no recollections of who you are. You also will not look the same when you are sent back. You will assume the age you are with the time as it has progressed since you were taken from your life."

"I will be allowed to return to earth but I will not look as young as I am right now? And when I do return will my parents remember me?"

"Your parents will have a feeling that they know you but it will be your job to make them see that you are their daughter. As for you looking older, you have been here in the heavens for almost sixteen years. Your body and mind will assimilate to those sixteen years when you are sent back. So instead of looking like a woman who is twenty-two years old, you will look like a woman who is now thirty-eight years old. Is this something you can agree to?"

Kate thought long and hard about the offer. She wondered what she would be doing if she decided to turn down the offer so she asked.

"Lord, if I were to deny your generous offer what would I be doing then? Would I still be working with Sapphira and Raguel?"

"I'm afraid that that would be impossible Katherine. I would want you to work directly with me. You would be what people on the surface would call an archangel."

Kate had no idea what to do. She loves Rick with all of her heart. She can't imagine how hard it will be to get Rick to remember her all over again but there is a positive here. She will look older and she hopes that this will be enough for him to remember her face. Sure, she will look older and that will give her an edge. He didn't like her when she was young so she might have a chance as an older version of herself.

"I would like to be returned to the surface lord. While I have cherished my time here in the heavens, I am not sure that I am cut out for this."

"That is understandable Katherine. But one last word before you are sent back… all that you have seen, heard and experienced here will be erased from your mind. It will be as if you were never here."

Kate nods but she looks over to Sapphira knowing that she will lose a very kind friend. Raguel… not so much. Sapphira nods at her friend and knows that she too is going losing someone she cares about as well.

A second later the winds start swirling around Kate and she can't see anything in front of her. Then her mind becomes cloudy and what she knew about this place is slowly leaving her memories. As long as she doesn't forget Rick, she'll be fine.

The winds die down and she opens her eyes. She takes in her surroundings and what she sees can't be right. She looks up to the heavens feeling a little upset and wants to ask why she is where she is. Knowing that it's a moot point she turns around and starts walking to the entrance of her old alma mater. Stanford University.

She needs to start all over again but first, she is on the wrong coast. She heads to the admin building to see about using a phone. She sees a woman from the administration staff in the office.

"Hello, I was wondering if you could let me use a phone for a call?"

"Listen honey you look old enough to have a cell phone of your own. These phones are for official university use only. If I remember correctly, I think that there is still one last remaining payphone out in the quad. Use that."

Kate can't believe that she was treated this way. Old enough? What was that crack for? She leaves the office and she needs to use the restroom. After she is finished and she is about to wash her hands she catches sight of a person she does not recognize in the mirror. The reflection scares her a little but she realizes that it's an older version of herself. In her opinion a little too old. Now the crack about her being old enough makes sense.


	13. Chapter 13

Getting across the country in her present form is turning out to be a little harder than she thought. She has no cash, no credit cards, and the most important item no cell phone. She almost makes it to the payphone on the quad when she realizes something. If she remembers correctly when she was a student here her mother and father had set up a monthly direct deposit for her college expenses. She remembers the amount that was sent to her and if her luck holds, she might have a way to get back home.

The next ten minutes find herself in the campus library in the public computer area. She tries to remember her user name and password but she can only guess three times before she is locked out. Her first try is only half right. The user name is right but the password is wrong. She tried hard to try to remember her password and suddenly she remembers what it might be. When she was away from home, she had an obsession with Nebula-9. She thinks her password is CaptnMaxluvsLtChloe she types it in and crosser her fingers in the hopes that she is right. She hits enter and the screen goes to the opening page of Stanford's student account page.

For additional security, she needs to enter the last four numbers of her Social Security number. When she does that, she sees what's left in her account as well as the balance of her meal plan she had and how many books she had bought in her first two years when she was in law school. She pulls up her account financial page and sees that there is a little under three thousand dollars. Two thousand eight hundred fifty-seven dollars and eighteen cents to be exact. From this page, she can book a flight back to New York by simply searching for a flight through the university's portal. At the time parents were grateful that their children could do this through their account page and charge it directly to their account. She found a flight to JFK that leaves SFO in about five hours. It's enough time to get from the university to the airport. She has printed her ticket and boarding pass and she'll pick it up n her way out of the library. Now she is thankful that she could book a flight but the bigger problem is being able to get some cash. If she remembers it right, she can print out a voucher for cash, go to the campus credit union and present the voucher, and get the cash. She only has one issue there is no way she can prove who she is without identification. She has no driver's license and even if she did it would look nothing like the way she looks now.

Navigating her account, she notices that there is a way to get a student ID reissued. She clicks the menu tab and requests that a new one be issued to her. The little blue circle rotates in the middle of the screen and again her fingers are crossed. Less than thirty seconds later she sees that the request was approved and she needs to go back to the admin building to pick up her new ID card. All she can hope is that nasty lady is on her lunch hour.

She takes her voucher, her receipt for the new ID card just in case and on the way out she picks up her plane ticket and boarding pass from the staff person who is holding it for her. By the time she gets to the admin building, it's empty. No one is there and she checks her watch to see that it is indeed lunchtime. She takes a seat across from the sign-in desk and waits. Five minutes pass and she sees a teacher's aide that she knew when she was here.

"Paul, hi it's Kate Beckett."

"Kate Beckett! As I live and breathe. How are you?"

"I'm fine. Just here to pick up my old student ID for my keepsake box. I lost my old one."

"Ah-ha I see. Hold on a second…"

Paul leaves and retraces his footsteps from where he came. He is gone for less than a minute but when he returns, he has her new laminated ID card and the date is current which tickles her pink.

"Here you go, Kate. It was good to see you but I have a class to teach and I have to run. I wish we could chat. Maybe some other time?" He asks.

"Yeah, maybe some other time." She replies as he rushes out the door and to his next class. She waits for about ten seconds and she is right behind him. She goes straight to the credit union to cash the voucher she printed out earlier. She thinks that four hundred dollars will be more than enough. A taxi ride back home, a good meal, and some spending cash. The teller at the credit union does not even question her ID when she presents it to her. She counts out two hundred's, two fifties, and five twenties. She places them in a cash envelope and hands her ID and the cash back without even looking up.

There is a shuttle bus that has a direct service to SFO. There is one leaving in twenty minutes and it gives her time to think about Rick and seeing him again. She hopes that he is still working at the 12th and he is still thinking about her. She is drawn from her thoughts as the shuttle driver blows the horn and she gets on the bus. The ride is only 40 minutes and in that time she has a plan that might get Rick to consider her as an equal. The shuttle drops are right in front of United's terminal and she takes her boarding pass and ticket and her backpack, goes through security, then presents her boarding pass to the TSA agent. He still has his hand out and she looks at him.

"Yes?" Kate asks.

"Government-issued identification please."

"I'm sorry. All I have is my old school ID. I don't have a driver's license. I took the test but could never pass the road test. Sorry." Kate's fingers are crossed once again."

"Hold on a second." The TSA agent tells her. He gets up and walks over to his supervisor. He points to her twice and then the supervisor returns with the first agent.

"Ms. Beckett?"

"Yes."

"My agent here tells me that you do not possess a driver's license. Is that true?"

"It is. I could never pass the road test. And you really don't need a license when you have mass transit to rely on in NYC."

"True. I'll allow you to pass this one time. Next time you travel the TSA will need to see a passport or a state-issued ID card."

"Thank you," Kate told him as he returned her ID and boarding pass.

She was on the plane heading East. All she needed to do now was hope Rick still had her in his heart, if he did, she could make him see that they were meant to be together. The plane ride gave her a better plan to follow to get Rick to notice the older her. She would use her age to show him that while she might have been younger when he remembered her as a student, she was still young at heart. Knowing that this would be a hard task to accomplish she hopes that Rick can see that it's really her.


	14. Chapter 14

The flight to New York gave her time to think. She was landing at LaGuardia which was kind of a godsend. The flight was delayed getting into the airport due to weather and she had even more time to think. Her plan if you would call it that was to go and see her parents first. She didn't know what to expect when she got there so she would just tell them that she was still alive and that she had aged considerably. Her mother might recognize her but she really wasn't sure about that either. What she is going to do about Rick she hasn't decided yet. She just hopes that he's in a better mood when she does finally see him.

The plane taxied to the terminal and since she did not have anything other than a simple carry on, she was almost the first person to leave the plane.

Taxis were out of the question because they were astronomical in cost. She only has spare $400 to get her back to Manhattan. She sees the shuttle that leaves LaGuardia for downtown and Midtown. The midtown stop is just about where her parents live and she hops on the shuttle making sure she has everything with her.

Forty-five minutes later the shuttle pulls up to 8th Avenue and West 40th Street. She looks up at the Port Authority Bus Terminal and has the feeling of being home again. There's something about the city and the people in it that make her feel this way. She knows that she is less than ten blocks away from her parents and looked uptown. She decided to walk. It's a Sunday and she knows exactly where her mom and dad will be right now.

Xx

"Jo, why aren't you eating?" Jim asks his wife who sits across from him in their favorite diner.

"I'm sorry Jim. I can't do this any longer." Johanna replies.

"Listen I know that it's hard but we've been doing this for the last sixteen years. This is the seventeenth year that she was taken from us."

"I know but each year it gets harder to sit here and remember her."

"I know and I am sorry."

Jim was interrupted finishing his answer by the waitress who had asked him if it would be alright if they wouldn't mind sharing their table with a patron who wanted to eat there. Jim took a look around the diner and found that every table was overflowing with people eating so he agreed after getting a look from his wife saying it was okay. The waitress went back to the counter grabbed a menu and guided a woman who looked to be in her late thirties to early forties back to the table. She took a seat next to Jo and looked at Jim.

"Thank you so much for sharing your table with me. I loved this place when I was younger."

The second she spoke Johanna realized that her voice sounded familiar but she just could not place it so she just watched the woman.

"Where are you from honey?" Johanna asks.

"I lived not far from here. When I was a high schooler my parents took me here almost every Sunday for brunch."

Jim, on the other hand, noticed the look the woman was giving him and was drawn to her facial features. She looked familiar but he couldn't place her either.

"I'm sorry, but I have the feeling that we've met before. Have we?" Jim asked the woman sitting next to his wife.

"I'm not sure. What do you do for a living, sir?" Kate asked.

"I retired from a law firm about three years ago. I was partners with two other lawyers and one of them is sitting right next to you."

Kate realized just how much time had gone by. Her parents had retired from the law firm they started in the mid-eighties. This was going to be hard to explain but she needed to start somewhere.

"No, I'm sure that if we'd met, I would have remembered someone like you."

Johanna was going to go out on a limb here.

"Katie?" she asks with hope in her tone.

Before Johanna finished getting the words out, the woman sitting next to her turned to face her and all she saw was tear tracks running down her cheeks. The second she did look at Johanna, Jim's mind went into overdrive.

"This is impossible! I buried my daughter 17 years ago there's no way that you are her."

"I don't remember where I was for all this time, my mind, believe it or not, is a big blank. All I remember was the party that we went to with my friend Charlotte and Josh."

"You died that night Katie. Josh was too drunk to drive and ended up sliding down an embankment, ejecting Charlotte from the car and killing both of you in the process."

She started remembering some small memories then. The day after they laid her to rest, she remembers her mother crying in their apartment but she doesn't know how she got there to remember that. It's like she was a ghost or something. It only lasted a brief minute or two but now the memory was erased from her mind.

"Mom, dad I remember being in the apartment right after I was buried. I can still hear the argument the two of you had when Josh was tried for driving drunk. He had moved back to New York and was tried for two counts of manslaughter."

Jim looked to his wife with a stunned look on his face. They never told anybody about that argument they had that night in their apartment. So, if this wasn't their daughter how did she know about what they were fighting over that night?

He just looked at her and said one word.

"How?"

"Dad I have no idea how. All I know is that I was drawn to this diner on this day I needed to see the two of you here. There is also something else niggling in the back of my head. It has to do with the Police Department and a certain person. But I'm in the dark as to know who it is because I don't know anybody in the NYPD. But the name Jenny keeps coming up in my head and I don't know why."

"Katie, all I care about is that you're back with us once again."

"I know one way we can settle this once and for all. Joanna are you finished with your meal?" Jim asks.

"I am. What do you have in mind?"

"I'll tell you when we get there." He answered her still skeptical.

Jim settles the bill and they all get up to leave. Once they're out on the sidewalk Jim hails a taxi cab. Instead of giving the address of where he wants to go through the window, he gives the driver the piece of paper with the printed address on it. The ride is uneventful and it lasts thirty minutes. When they pull up to gates everyone gets out as Jim pays the driver. The walk is a short one and Jim and Johanna walk right past where her headstone should be.

"Jo? Where is it?" Jim asks his wife.

"It should be right here Jim. I don't know where it could have gone to. We have walked this way for the last seventeen years it's got to be here somewhere." She replied.

Jim goes back to the path where the headstones start. He knows that her marker should be in row seven the 12th one in. After carefully counting off twelve headstones, he sees the name of a man that he has never heard of. William Robinson. Born 1938 died 1967. Staff Sergeant United States Army. Purple Heart recipient and father of three. His daughter's headstone should be right where this man is residing. But there is nothing to indicate that she was ever here.

He turns to his wife with a confused look and all he sees her doing is nodding her head up and down indicating that this person although older is really their daughter.

Xx

Rick decided after giving this a lot of thought that he would hang up his handcuffs and go out in style. Ryan tried to make him see that leaving was not a wise choice. If anything, he could teach new recruits how to become better at their jobs. What he didn't realize was that Rick was fed up with what was going on in the Department and his life.

His wife had somehow conned her lawyer into getting her out of jail on good behavior. After filing appeals, and her being a model prisoner they let her out. But what she didn't realize was that she would wear an ankle bracelet to account for her whereabouts for her time on parole that would be for three years. But it seems that was the least of Ricks's problems. She filed a lawsuit against him for defamation of character, slander, and the amount of the initial damage caused by the accident she had years ago. He never wanted anything to do with her and now it's back in his lap all over again.

After getting an attorney his lawyer told him that the insurance company had paid off all the damage from the time she had the accident. So, there was nothing there to fight. Nothing was going to happen with the defamation of character lawsuit and the slander suit because the judge would review the case from years ago and find out that she was a habitual trunk drunk back then. He had nothing to worry about.

He thinks about her often and wonders what she is doing now. Did she graduate? Is she out saving the world? He could never find her. It was like she never existed.

 **Happy New Year to all!**


	15. Chapter 15

She has the feeling that she's been here before but there is nothing around her that's familiar. She has trouble remembering anything at all but she does know that a couple of men do look familiar to her. As she enters the lobby of the 12th, she sees the desk sergeant and has to think up an excuse to get to the homicide floor that will be believable. She can't reveal herself as a student any longer because she is way too old to be a young college student. Then it hits her! She is an attorney and needs to speak with detective Castle about a case. she steps up to the desk and announces herself.

"Hi I'm an attorney and I need to see detective Castle about a case that he's working on." Again, Kate held her breath and crossed her fingers hoping that the sergeant would not ask for any form of identification.

"Can I ask who's here to see him, Miss?"

"Kate Beckett."

"Hold on a second and I'll call up to see if he's in."

The sergeant picks up the phone and dials Rick's extension. It rings three times and then switches over to the main number upstairs. Ryan answers his desk phone.

"Detective Ryan."

"Ryan this is O'Conner at the front desk. I have a lawyer Kate Beckett here to see Castle. Is he in?"

"He is. Send her up."

Kate watches as the sergeant hangs up the phone and pulls a visitor badge from the drawer and gives it to her.

"Wear this at all times. Take the elevator to the fourth floor and there you will see a detective Ryan. He will bring you to detective Castle."

"Thank you, sergeant." Kate turns and leaves for the elevator.

She thinks about what to say to make him recognize her and her mind is coming up with a great big blank. The doors to the elevator slide open and she is just standing there taking everything in.

"Hello?" She hears from someone on the floor and it draws her from her thoughts.

"Yes, I'm sorry. I seemed to have been daydreaming. I'm here to see detective Castle."

"Well the first thing you need to do in order to see him is to step off the elevator."

"Sorry again." Kate steps off the elevator and Ryan just looks at her funny.

"I'm sorry but have we met before?"

"I don't think so. Have I ever defended you?" Kate answers hoping he will ask the right questions.

"No, I've never needed a lawyer before. But you still look familiar to me."

Kate thinks to herself, _come on Kevin ask me about where I went to school or what I studied when I was in school._

"Did you go to school in the city?"

"I did I went to Columbia."

"You studied law when you were in Columbia?"

"I did. I also did the paper on how the homeless were treated by the NYPD. How they were treated when the stop and frisk program was in place, what happened when it became too cold for them to be on the street.

Ryan racks his brain for any kind of recognition of who is standing in front of him and he thinks he remembers who she is but he needs to go on more to be sure.

"What's my wife's name?" Kevin blurts out.

 _Kevin got married? When did this happen? God, why hadn't she known her name…wait a second when she was here last, he was seeing a teacher named Jenny. Could she be his wife now?_

"Her name is Jenny."

"Kate? Is that really you?"

"It is Kevin. I'm a bit older as you can see."

"How and why?"

"Kevin I can't even begin to tell you what happened to me. It's like the last three years are a blank in my mind. I only remember Jenny and I have a memory of Rick but it's very vague but it has something to do with him being hurt and that's all I remember."

"He was hurt. Badly. There was a stabbing by a man trying to rape an elderly woman near Phil's coffee shop on the corner of Houston and 13th street. He was in surgery for over seven hours. His PT lasted about three months before he gave up and left. Then he became very cold to everyone. He was closed off to the world."

"Kevin, was it the fact that I wasn't there an issue? I mean I went to see him at the hospital but they wouldn't admit me because I was not family."

"Kate I'm not sure what happened but whatever it was it changed him."

"It changed who?" A deep baritone voice said.

They both just stood there not saying a word. Kate wanted to say something but decided against it to see if he could recognize her without her saying a word. She was pretty sure that he might have an idea of who is standing right in front of him.

The aroma of her perfume assaulted his nose instantly. He had smelled this scent before he knows what this is, but he just can't put his finger on where he remembers it from.

"You. Your stabbing changed you." Ryan tells Rick.

Kate looks everywhere but at Rick. She wants to know if he will recognize her being older than when he remembers her from following him around.

"So Kevin who is this very beautiful woman? Aren't you going to introduce us?" Rick says as he leans back on the edge of his desk.

"I'm pretty sure that you have an idea who this is. But since I'm not the one who should be introducing her maybe she should be the one who tells you who she is herself."

Rick just looked at Kevin like he had lost his mind. He'd never seen this woman before in his life because if he did, he would have remembered her. She turns to him and their eyes locked together he knows those eyes. The small flecks of gold in her hazel eyes are a dead giveaway of someone he remembers from years ago. He studies her face intently trying to figure out if he looks like anyone who he has ever met before. Her cheekbones are high, her hair is long and free-flowing, she has a birthmark on her left cheek right below her jaw that niggles at him. He just can't remember who it was attached to in the past. She has a mischievous look about her as if she was the one who got away with sticking her hand in the cookie jar and ate the cookie. He looks over her body and sees that she is very lithe and slim. She is a knockout and he seems to recall a person who kept asking him questions about some homeless people but that's a far as he can think. There is something about her though and he can't place it. Then the scent of strawberries assaults his nose again.

"Sorry Miss, I have no clue as to who you are," Rick said.

Ryan chimed in with a clue and it might be a dead giveaway but he knew these two were meant to be together.

"Rick, I will give you two clues about who this could possibly be standing in front of you. Study her face and think of her as a younger version of what you see standing in front of you. Then the only word I'm going to give you as a clue is "thesis."

Rick did what Ryan suggested. And he keeps going back to her eyes. There's something about them that he can't place and they look so very familiar to him. Then he thinks about the word that Ryan gave to him "thesis." He studies her face deeper and he sees that she is older but this could not be her. This could not be the person who he didn't want anything to do with because if it is, he made a total ass of himself the last time they met. It's then when he sees her smile and her laugh lines on her face become more pronounced and then he knows exactly who is standing right in front of him.

"Kate?" Rick suggests.

"Hello, Rick. And yes, it's me, Kate. Do you remember me?"

"It is coming back to me but slowly. What I can't understand is how you became older looking in the last three years. When I saw you last you are a college student barely in her twenties and now you look like a sophisticated, educated, and very beautiful woman. You should be in your late twenties I would have never guessed that it was you. What happened to you?"

"I'm not sure Rick. All I can tell you is that I ended up near Stanford University four days ago and I have no recollection of how I got there. I only knew I needed to get back to here to be near you."

"Near me? Why?"

"Because I am in love with you Rick. I know that it sounds crazy but I am."

"I know Kate. I'm in love with you too."

Kate walks over to him and in the middle of the bullpen, she takes him into her arms and hugs him with all she has in her. He responds the same and when they part the whole floor erupts with applause.

Xx

Now, do you see Raguel? No matter what you did to deter her from him she still found her way back to her soulmate. And for the record, I think that it was a mean way to bring her back to being a mortal." Sapphira said as they both looked down from the heavens at Kate and Rick at the 12th precinct in a loving embrace.

"Sapphira this was a test. If she found him again then so be it. But if she didn't, I would not lose any sleep over the fact that she could not find her soulmate." Raguel turned and left her to stare at the two future lovers.

Sapphira knew that she was meant to do bigger things with her life and being an angel was not in the cards for her. Not far from now Kate will prove her right. She moves her arm over the pool of water she is looking at and the image changes to future events. Kate will marry the love of her life and they will have three beautiful and wonderful children together. Rick will retire from the NYPD to raise his children as a stay at home father. Kate will become a very compassionate and capable attorney who won just about every case she tried and will defend the men and woman who can't afford a high-priced lawyer. Her mother and father meet with them every Sunday to go to church and then to have an enjoyable brunch together afterward. Life could not be any better for them. Sapphira smiles a lot for her friend and wishes that she too could have what Kate has…

~Fin~


End file.
